Customer Reviews

The Good Karma Divorce: Avoid Litigation, Turn Negative Emotions into Positive Actions, and Get On with the Rest of Your Life

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WOW - what a refreshing way to look at divorce.
Lots of real workable advice, real-life examples, helpful checklists and no-nonsense tools.
I especially appreciate the line: "... there is no Right side in divorce. Like an eye for an eye, the only thing that happened in the end was that everyone was left with no eyes."
This will be THE guide I will give to all my friends having marital troubles.
Thank you. HIGHLY RECOMMEND "The Good Karma Divorce"

This may well be the landmark book on surviving divorce with self-esteem and mental health intact. Judge Michele Lowrance offers practical help for the painful divorce process--and it appears to be useful information for not only during the divorce, but for long after. Her wise and compassionate attention to the safeguarding of children comes through with clarity and with sharp focus on the myth that children are resilient and will bounce back after divorce. I particularly enjoyed Judge Lowrance's audio version--she speaks with authority, humor and undisguised compassion for all who must experience the breakup of a marriage.

Finally, a process-oriented approach to one of life's most emotional experiences. Taking the drama and trauma out of divorce is a extraordinary feat and The Good Karma Divorce lays out the necessary roadwork to accomplish this. Loved the quotes scattered throughout the book, very thought provoking. The book is laid out in a very logical, easy to follow, easy to read style. I've decided to purchase The Good Karma Divorce for my sister, who seven years into her divorce, is still struggling with very bad karma!

As a friend of the author, I initially embarked on reading The Good Karma Divorce out of obligation and curiosity. I have been divorced over 20 years and assumed this book would not be applicable to my life. I was so wrong. I found the book filled with relevant information with valuable and constructive ways to enhance my life and the lives of others.
Knowing Michell, I had the added bonus of hearing her voice speaking to me as I read. She is a brilliant author making this painful subject fascinating to read with her colorful literary descriptions. Each chapter begins with a pertinent quote with other thoughtful quotes to follow. This displays her voracious reading and shows her comprehension and compassion of the human experience.
The chapter on apology moved me so much that it brought me to cal my ex who I have had no contact with, and apologize for my past behavior. It was a traumatic endeavor which resulted in an overpowering release of "Bad Karma".
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their relationships with others and learn concrete exercises in dealing with adversity, particularly divorce. My biggest regret is that this book wasn't available when I went through divorce.

I have spent thirty years practicing matrimonial law and The Good Karma Divorce is the first book I have encountered that encourages readers to approach their divorce from a spiritual level while giving the unique perspective of a family law judge and survivor of divorce as evidence of effectiveness. Judge Lowrance focuses on positive mental reinforcement, providing tools and exercises to help readers move past the emotional blocks faced during and after a divorce, and shares examples of success she has observed from her own extensive experience.

The Good Karma Divorce illustrates the immeasurable benefits of navigating a divorce with positivity, particularly when children are involved. I plan to recommend this uplifting book to my clients as a valuable resource for surviving the emotional upheaval of divorce.

Jeffery M. Leving
[...]

Michele Lowrance provides a unique and refreshing insight in one of the most traumatizing experiences a person can face. The author provides a unique perspective and outlook on this difficult topic by drawing on her own personal life experience as well as on her extensive track record as an attorney and a family court judge. Being personally involved in a difficult custody case, I have been bewildered by the complexities of court procedures. As such, this book is extremely helpful to anyone involved in what is a very challenging situation. In addition, the author provides the reader with a useful map and a positive message on how to best approach the issues. Finally, her clear and concise style makes this an easily understandable read while giving an uplifting message of hope. A must-read for anyone facing this difficult situation who wants to save himself (and all involved) tears, stress, time and money.

This book is as well written as it is insightful, which is saying something. Judge Lowrance writes beautifully on a subject that is at best dismal; and she manages to give insight into divorce that I'm sure will leave everyone at least hopeful if not inspired and uplifted as well. Too long have we gone blindly through divorce in this country tearing apart family after family, brutally, and needlessly. If only a fraction of future divorcing couples follow Judge Lowrance's advice, I personally have no doubt that future generations will be better for it. I was also impressed to find that while devoted to the subject of divorce, this book gives advice for getting through hardships that is daily relevant, and not only necessary for getting through a divorce with one's soul, and family in tact.

I was asked to read this book as part of a project at work. I hid it inside the dust cover of another book so that my children wouldn't see the title. Despite my hesitation to let people know what I was reading, I have to say that this book is fantastic! It's probably the best self-help book I've ever read, and it's among the best books of any kind I've ever read. Not only does the author understand divorce from every angle, she also has genuine compassion for everybody involved with or affected by the process. In addition, the writing is great. Sometimes it's spectacular. Near the conclusion, for instance, she's talking about the importance of remembering the good times in your previous marriage as you move forward in your life. She writes, "If you believe that in order to move through the door ahead, the door behind you must be sealed, you may be entering the gates of prison." That sentence creates a powerful image in my mind.

The book makes the claim on the dust jacket that 100% of couples following these principles avoid trial. That's a bold claim, but I'll bet it's true. Nobody with an ounce of compassion could study the principles in this book and also read its description of the court process, and then drag a person who they had ever even slightly cared for through such a nightmare. Describing court she writes, "The same hands that caressed you, that supported you when you were ill, are now vehemently shoving documents at an attorney in an attempt to administer pain instead of aid." I gained a far better understanding of concepts like anger, criticism, forgiveness, and apology from this book. I also learned the great concept of heroic parenting.

The author never claims that the principles she teaches have saved any marriages, but I'll guarantee they have. She never suggests that a couples decision to divorce might not be the right choice, but I'm certain many readers have rethought that decision in the process of reading her wonderful book. I have a hard time believing that there's an adult anywhere who wouldn't benefit from reading this information. Before I turned the book back in to my employer I ordered my own copy from Amazon. My wife has already begun reading it, and I'm looking forward to reading it again, this time with a highlighter in my hand from start to finish. My life is better for having read this book. Thank you, Judge!

Among the books on coping, this one is unique in its empathic & reflective tone. The author speaks from experience, having been through 2 divorces herself and serving as a family judge. She's realistic about the pain divorce brings, but the main theme is taking the high road throughout the process & building a post-divorce relationship based on the strengths of your marriage.

When you can't avoid the pain of divorce, this is how to "make lemonade from lemons". Practical advice on how to survive it and use the experience for future growth.

Whether it was providing answers to questions like "Why does the act of writing things down, calm me down?", or providing a logical, and inspirational explanation to the idea of "Life is Suffering"(which I never truly understood), Michele Lawrence has provided a book that gave me immediate solace. Solace not just from the anxiety and pressure of the events which have unfolded in the recent past, but solace from my own self-doubt. Now, I am absolutely certain I can get through this very difficult time, AND come out the other side as a better person. Right now, it feels like the most important book I've ever read.