Customer Reviews

The Divorce Organizer & Planner

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My husband of 36 years asked for a divorce after informing me of a 3-week affair with a woman 4 years older who'd already had quadruple bypass surgery. Go figure! Shock doesn't come close to describing my state.

However, I was not so shocked that common sense didn't kick in -- two days later I ordered several books on Divorce, including Ms. Sember's: I needed to protect what I could for MY future.

The Divorce Organizer & Planner came in good stead. With tears here and there, I worked those sections that were relevant to me (I didn't need to consider child custody/support issues) and collected documents I would need to go through the divorce process. While I had a consultation with a lawyer to make sure I was collecting the info I'd need (and found out the Workbook was right on target!), I did not retain her right away -- nor did my husband seek legal advice.

4 months after "the news," my husband was killed in a freak accident.

Because I'd "done my homework" with the assistance of the Organizer & Planner, I had all the documents and papers necessary to handle the financial and legal affairs that accompany a death: Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, and Drivers Licenses for BOTH of us, Marriage Certificate, Life Insurance policies, Financial accounts, Lists of assets and liabilities, etc., etc., etc. I was able to obtain benefits, complete probate, and process life insurance claims forthrightly because all the information was readily at hand.

Ms. Sember's book is really a must have for everyone, those contemplating a divorce or not. I really should make it a point to write her a letter and let her know how very helpful she was at a very difficult time in my life.

Divorce ranks as one of the most stressful events you can go through in a lifetime, even when it's fairly amicable, and many aren't. Even though your emotions are in turmoil, you have to be as objective as possible when going through a divorce to ensure that you (and your kids, if you have any) get a fair deal.

Brette McWhorter Sember's book not only goes over every aspect involved in divorce, but provides practical, useful worksheets to help you stay organized. She provides tips on gathering, organizing and analyzing financial, household and personal documents and walks you through the divorce process. The book lays out the different options for working with lawyers, mediators and what happens in court.

Anyone involved in a divorce would do well to order this book as soon as the decision is made to divorce.

Brette McWhorter Sember's "Divorce Organizer Planner" is quite the useful guide. Not only has she filled it with many helpful forms, she has sprinkled tips throughout the guide's 17 chapters.

Readers can read the book front to back, or skip to particular sections they need, be they protection issues, settlement options, custody matters, or even how to get the divorce rolling. The appendix, too, offers helpful information. There, Sember lists more than 30 websites, as well as a full reading list for adults and children.

I particularly think Sember's tip of only venting to friends and family, not a lawyer, is a gentle reminder that divorce is, as far as the law is concerned, a business transaction. To deal with the emotional aspects of divorce, Sember wisely directs readers to consider mediation, which has a high chance of producing the best long-term results.

It's hard to go through a divorce - divorces are often rated as one of the top ten life stressors. Brette Sember's book helps make getting through a difficult life event easier. While you will still have to deal with the emotional turmoil, following the steps in Sember's book will help you with all the practical things you need to do to get through your divorce proceedings. Getting organized not only reduces your stress level, but as Sember points out, it will help you minimize your legal costs.

The book, written in Sember's practical, me-to-you style, takes you through the stages of divorce, and provides helpful lists and worksheets to help you organize the volumes of information you must deal with. She covers the major things like finances, property and child support and alimony, but also provides tips on little things, like talking with your lawyer's secretary.

All in all, this is an extremely practical guide that will help anyone going through a divorce. It's hard to think about all the details during such a stressful time, and Sember's book is an extremely good solution for keeping on top of all the information you will need for your divorce proceedings.

This is a great book to help a person get their mind wrapped around the practical aspects of a divorce. In the long run it might save you money on legal fees because you will not have to have your attorney hold your hand and guide you through every process, problem or issue, you will be able to get a lot done on your own. The book forces you to think and plan about all the little frustrating details you would rather not deal with. I would recommend combining this book with other divorce books such as "Hit Him Where it Hurts" by Sherri Donovan and "The Ten Biggest Legal Mistakes Women can Make" by Marilyn Barret. "A Judge's Guide to Divorce: Uncommon Advice from the Bench" by Roderic Duncan is extremely helpful and helps you focus on the tough stuff like child custody.

My mom used to like to keep one room in the house really well organized, just in case company stopped by unexpected. Divorce is a time of tremendous change. The financial and emotional burdens are obvious. Moving is stressful. Opening a new checking account is inconvenient. Your ex, however lazy and unreliable they might have been, knew how to get to Aunt Sally's house and where the spare keys were or how the garage door worked.

Sember has taken on the task of making sense of the thousands of tasks associated with starting a new life. The book isn't exhaustive but it is comprehensive. It covers calendaring and banking, bills and communication among other topics.

The Divorce Organizer is logical and works for people who are represented by attorneys and people who are doing it themselves. Perhaps it is especially instructive for anyone who is wants to doing something while the lawyer is guiding them through the divorce process.


At moments in the book, though I hesitated and asked myself if anyone really was this well-organized. "Divorce Planning" may suffer from the unrealistic expectations

Don't be deterred by how together Sember seems to be. Remember, she's not getting divorced. You are. You can pick and choose which parts of the Organizer you need and remember that you deserve to have the sanity that comes from having a small part of your life alphabetically arranged in an easily accessible drawer.

I am in the planning stages of a separation and eventual divorce and first I thought this wouldn't pertain to me, but I would recommend this book even for anyone who is even considering a separation or divorce. There is a lot of information, check lists and even support receipts for you to copy and file and it gave me insight on the entire process and there were lots of things even after consulting with an attorney that I hadn't thought of.
It does get repetitive sometimes, which is why I gave it only four stars. There are also great resources in the back of the book too.
Highly recommend it!

I found that this book was extremely helpful in getting prepared for the divorce process as well as helping you afterwards as well such as doing a budget. It has worksheets to help you with all the different processes that occur in a divorce and after.
Take care, TJ

I found Brette McWhorter Sember's "Divorce Organizer Planner" to be a valuable resource. Her advice about divorce is solid and practical and her advice on child custody to be fair-handed and child-centered. Her calm voice for an emotionally charged process is as valuable for men as for women. Since many more men end up with the children and alimony these days, men should not place too much emphasis on the fact that initially Brette is addressing women. Advising you to listen and record your child's reactions to contact and visitation are critical to understanding and monitoring your child's emotions. Good information for both parents. This book will definitely move you along and keep you in the right frame of mind. Charlotte Hardwick, author of Win Your Child Custody War: Child Custody Help Source Book--A How-To System for People Serious About the Welfare of Their Child (12th Edition)

This is for someone considering divorce and how you get your ducks in a row before hand.