Divorce Resources

DivorceNet.com offers state-by-state information on divorce. Select your state from the list on this page and you'll be redirected to a page with comprehensive information including articles of law, FAQs, articles of interest, and helpful community resources.

Divorce Helpline offers "A Short Divorce Course," which details the process of a typical divorce. Although the site is in fact selling a do-it yourself divorce product, you'll learn about the stages of divorce with a focus on downplaying the role of the legal system. If you can remind yourself that you will probably still need the legal system, you can glean some good introductory knowledge. See the "Frequently Asked Questions" link on the left for more valuable pieces of information.

Medline Plus is a service put out by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. It offers links to foundations, organizations, articles, and statistics. Use this to learn about the basics of divorce and to find other resources.

DivorceSupport.com offers support forums on a multitude of divorce topics. In addition, you'll find links to articles, research, state documents, and custody and visitation information. Go to the "Divorce Dictionary," under the "Divorce Information" section, if you encounter terms you don't recognize.

The National Center for Health Statistics lists statistics for marriage and divorce throughout the United States-find out marriage and divorce rates or visit links to the "National Survey of Family Growth" or "U.S. Census Bureau" for more statistics. Note that the statistics are from 2005, which is the last time the numbers were collected.

The Legal and Legislative Resource Center offers advice on general lawyer selection. With some basic definitions of legal terms, and descriptions of what interactions with lawyers are like, the site will prepare you for what meeting and choosing your divorce lawyer will be like.

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers will help you locate a lawyer, and provides advice for protecting your children and surviving the difficulties of divorce. "Law Links" on the left sidebar will lead you to family law organizations, courts, and cases when divorce has been contested, as well as government departments that deal in family law.

American Bar Association has a "Public Resources" link that helps you get information on many legal topics, including family law. Visit the "Get Legal Help" section for a lawyer referral service or to learn more about legal help.

Association for Conflict Resolution has a mediator referral service where you'll be able to find a mediator, should you decide that you'd rather not involve lawyers in your divorce.

Nolo has a "Divorce and Child Custody" section that will prove useful for anyone wanting to get divorced without much interference from courts or lawyers, especially in the "Divorce Without Court" section. Even if you decide to use lawyers, Nolo can provide a very good reference tool to help you get familiar with divorce terminology and legal explanations.

legalzoom.com helps you prepare legal documents for a divorce from your own home. This site allows you to file an uncontested divorce-if you can agree with your spouse on how to divide assets and child custody. The service costs between $250 and $300.

Cornell Law School 's Legal Information Institute hosts this extensive and official table of divorce laws listed by state. You'll find a summary of general divorce law (click LII's "law about..." link), and under "Statutes" you'll find lengthy state laws.

US Divorce Laws has links to the divorce laws in all 50 states. Avoid the flashy questionnaire and scroll to the bottom on the page, where you'll find a list of states. Click on yours, and read divorce laws in a format more geared toward the layperson than the Cornell site.

The U.S. Department of State provides this source detailing divorce procedures for couples residing abroad. Legal procedures and advice are outlined in this official source.

SmartMoney.com has some great resources for couples going through a divorce in its "Marriage and Divorce" section. Scroll down the page a bit to see articles about dividing assets as well as other financial divorce matters (taxes, child support, alimony). You'll even find a "Deductible Alimony Calculator" and a "Property Settlement Calculator" under "Worksheets" near the top of the page.

MSN Money offers this article about smart ways to manage your finances while divorcing. Basic tips throughout the text are supplemented with links to related topics-like an article called "Should you keep the house in a divorce?"

Forbes has an article called "How to Survive a Divorce, Financially" that explains some of the financial effects of getting a divorce, and ways to curb some of the financial blow. Forbes also has an article "In Pictures: Money Tips for Divorces" that provides 10 tips to saving money during a divorce, accompanied by illustrations (just click the play arrow above the first frame to view the slideshow).

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers , mentioned earlier as a site for finding a lawyer, indexes resources for valuing your assets. Find out through the recommended sites what your homes, vehicles, boats, animals, industrial goods, and stocks are worth.

Informed Divorce is a service provided by a family law firm in Washington State. The section on financial planning, on the left sidebar, has useful links that will help you calculate your assets, liabilities, and monthly expenses.

Family Law Software, Inc. is a software program that allows you to facilitate your own divorce by organizing your financial situation and settlement independently. You can also use this site to find professionals who will help you personally. The package costs $179.

Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts is a service that will help you find a financial analyst if you are getting divorced. Enter your zip code for a list of professionals in your area-suggested lawyers have been certified and educated as financial professionals in divorce cases.

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychology gives advice on how to make the difficult process of divorce easier on children.

American Academy of Pediatrics has a section on how to help children adjust to divorce. Visit the related articles at the bottom of the text for more information on communicating with children about divorce.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a government-affiliated site that suggests ways of helping your child in two different homes. Other links within the site will teach you how to be a good role model, how to set rules, and how to get involved in your child's life, for example.

Administration for Children & Families is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can learn about policy, find state links, or use the "Federal Parent Locator Service" to get your child the financial support he or she needs.

TeensHealth is geared toward teens and adolescents. This link answers questions like, "Why are My Parents Divorcing," and "How Will the Divorce Change My Life?". Recommend this site to your teenager for advice on lots of other topics: like "Your Body," "Your Mind," and "Sexual Health."

HelpGuide.org is a mental health resource. This article details how to reduce the potentially traumatic effects of divorce. It outlines what to look out for, and how to communicate with your child.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy helps you locate a family therapist near you. This site also offers books and articles on typical family problems. Learn the process of family therapy from this site, and visit a recommended doctor if you feel inclined to pursue this kind of professional help.

American Mental Health Alliance has a therapist locator that allows you to search any state or specific zip code for a therapist. If you already have a therapist in mind, type his or her name into the search box, or type a keyword that details the type of therapy you seek. Some relevant search topics provided by the site include, "divorce adjustment," "divorce mediation," "divorcing parents' concerns," and "children's adjustment to divorce." Therapists who specialize in these categories will then be recommended.

4therapy.com indexes information and resources for finding a counselor or therapist. This Web page featured columns and articles about the topic. You can also learn about when to seek therapy, how it works, how to choose the right therapist, types of therapy, and insurance and confidentiality issues by following the links on the left sidebar under "About Therapy."