Mediate Michigan

A great excerpt from the book The Good Karma Divorce written by Judge Michele Lowrance may be found here.

The book is written by a domestic relations (ie. family law) judge in Illinois and offers her insight as to how couples can & why they should try to achieve an amicable divorce.

From the book’s description:

The average divorce takes two years with a median cost of $30,000. Yet the true cost of divorce is more than time or money; it is the legacy of the decisions made during the process. No matter how long two people have been married, whether there are children or not, divorce often leads to bad choices that can forever alter a family’s life. But what if you could reverse the stereotype and move regret-free through this process? Divorce is unfortunate but it does not need to become the defining moment for the rest of your life.

Michele Lowrance is a practicing domestic-relations judge who over the past four years has seen 100 percent of divorcing couples avoid trial by following the principles presented in this book. Using her expertise as a family-court judge and former divorce attorney, Judge Lowrance has created a revolutionary guide for people facing the turmoil of divorce. The Good Karma Divorce offers concrete advice, real-life examples, no-nonsense tools, and helpful checklists. Inside, you will learn how to:

• Create a manifesto: Judge Lowrance shows us how to craft a road map that serves as our moral compass through the ever-twisting divorce journey.
• Harness negative emotions: Divorce brings out some of the strongest emotions we will feel in our lifetimes. Judge Lowrance helps us transform these raw feelings into positive power. We don’t have to be victims.
• Prevent collateral damage: Divorce is so personal that it is easy to lose focus on the big picture. Judge Lowrance’s impassioned advice will help guide you through the minefield, delivering a clear course of action to protect what we all value most: our children.
• Master transformative confrontation: It might start ugly but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Judge Lowrance teaches us how to avoid carnage in the courtroom, reinvigorate stale negotiations, and create a civility agreement.

Divorce is transitory, yet we too often become paralyzed by its effects. Life goes on and the decisions we make during this process must endure as well. By following our personal manifesto, harnessing our raw emotions, preventing collateral damage, and using transformative confrontation, we can avoid the black hole of litigation and create a good karma divorce, opening up a new world of hope and possibility.