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Books

Relationship (AKA Save the Marriage) Books
Divorce Books
Collaborative Law Books
Divorce Rituals & Rituals in General
Dating (So You Don't Divorce Again) and Dating/Prenuptial
Inspirational Books
Grief and Dying Books
Inner Healing Work
Home
Career
Financial Planning
Do-it-Yourself Family Law Books
General Legal Reference Books
Lawyering/Conflict Resolution
Negotiation

Relationships

Before you divorce, I recommend you give a few books a try:

Brief Encounters; How to make the most of relationships that may not last forever by Betty Coleman and Betty Edwards.
Conscious Loving by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks. Through their own marriage and through twenty years' experience counseling more than one thousand couples, therapists Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks have developed precise strategies to help you create a vital partnership and enhance the energy, creativity, and happiness of each individual.
Difficult Conversations; How to discuss what matters most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Shelia Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project
How to be An Adult in Relationships; The five keys to mindful loving by David Richo
Love Between Equals; How peer marriage really works (formerly published as Peer Marriage) by Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D.
The Marriage Sabbatical; The journey that brings you home by Cheryl Jarvis.
The New Couple; Why the old rules don't work and what does by Maurice Taylor and Seana McGee.
Passionate Marriage; Love, sex and intimacy in emotionally committed relationships by David Schnarch. A book to rekindle love and intimacy in committed relationships.
Risk to be Healed: The heart of personal and relationship growth by Barry Vissell M.D. and Joyce Vissell R.N., M.S.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman, Ph.D.
The Shared Heart: Relationship initiations and celebrations by Barry Vissell, M.D. and Joyce Vissell, R.N., M.S.
There is No Prince; And other truths your mother never told you by Marilyn Graman and Maureen Walsh with Hillary Welles.
The Triumphant Marriage: 100 Extremely Successful Couples Reveal Their Secrets by Neil Clark Warren. Solid advice from a family therapist and extremely happily married grandfather
Undefended Love: The Way That You Felt About Yourself When You First Feel in Love is the Way That You Can Feel All the Time by Jett Psaris and Marlena Lyons. A book that helps you rekindle that feeling of being "in love".
The Way of the Superior Man; A spiritual guide to mastering the challenges of women, work, and sexual desire by David Deida

Divorce Books

Between Love and Hate by Lois Gold.
Collaborative Family Law: Another way to resolve family disputes by Richard W. Shields, Judith P. Ryan and Victoria L. Smith.
Conscious Divorce: Ending a marriage with integrity by Susan Allison.
Crazy Time: Surviving divorce and building a new life by Abigail Trafford
The Divorce Book by Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Peter Rogers, Ph.D., Joan Blades, J.D., and Richard Gosse, M.A. is a book that aims to address all the aspects of divorce: emotional survival, legal issues, protecting the children and creating a life after divorce.
For Better or for Worse: Divorce Reconsidered by E. Mavis Hetherington and John Kelly. This book offers to show readers how, though making wise choices, their divorce can be healing instead of horrible. G
Getting Divorced Without Ruining Your Life by Sam Margulies, Ph.D. and J.D. This book aims to take readers from the beginning stages of making the decision to get divorced through finalizing the divorce agreement.
The Good Divorce by Constance Ahrons, Ph.D. This book is about keeping your family together even when you get divorced. The author shows how couples can divorce and still meet the needs of their children.
The Guide to Civilized Divorce. In my opinion this is the manual for how to have an amicable divorce.
A Healing Divorce by Phil Penningroth and Barbara Penningroth.
Honorable mention goes to the workbook Healing Journey Through Divorce by Phil Rich.
Uncoupling by Diane Vaughan.

Collaborative Law Books

Collaborative Family Law: Another Way to Resolve Family Disputes by Richard Shields, Judith Ryan and Victoria Smith. I particularly like the lawyer strategies for handling tough moments in a collaborative case.
Collaborative Law by Pauline Tesler. The first, and very comprehensive, book on collaborative law by the mother of the movement.

Divorce Rituals & Rituals in General

The Art of Ritual by Renee Beck & Sydney Barbara Metrick. This is a guide to creating and performing ceremonies for your own personal growth and change.
Divorce is a Mitzvah by Rabbi Perry Netter is a "practical guide to finding wholeness and holiness when your marriage dies."
A Healing Divorce: Transforming the End of Your Relationship with Ritual and Ceremony by Phil Penningroth and Barbara Penningroth. This is a very detailed book about many types of divorce rituals written from a therapist's perspective.
Lights of Passage: Rituals and Rite of Passage for the Problems and Pleasures of Modern Life by Kathleen Wall and Gary Ferguson. This book offers rituals and ceremonies for large and small transitions; it can help you gain a fresh perspective to take advantage of the growth opportunities presented by challenges.
Rites of Passage: Celebrating life's changes by Kathleen Wall, Ph.D. and Gary Ferguson.
Rituals For Our Times: Celebrating, Healing, and Changing Our Lives and Relationships by Evan Imber-Black, Ph.D. and Janine Roberts, Ed.D. A thorough book on the history of ritual/ceremony and how to do your own.
Sacred Ceremony by Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D. This book is about how to create ceremonies that will help you heal, make life transitions and mark life's celebrations.
Sacred Rituals at Home by Jane Alexander.

Dating/ Prenuptial

Date.or Soul Mate by Neil Clark Warren, Ph.D. This is a book for people serious about meet the right person. The author describes how to clarify your values so you'll know if someone is wroth pursuing in two dates or less!
Grown-Up Marriage: What We Know, Wish We Had Known, and Still Need to Know About Being Married by Judith Viorst.
The Hard Questions: 100 essential questions to ask before you say "I do" by Susan Piver.
If I'm So Wonderful, Why am I Still Single by Susan Page.
The New Couple: Why the Old Rule Don't Work and What Does by Maurice Taylor and Seana McGee. This is a book that offers ten principles for "new couples" to replace outdated expectations of love and marriage that may not lead to healthy, long-lasting relationships.

Grief and Dying Books

The Grace in Dying by Kathleen Singh. A book about how we are transformed spiritually as we die from an extended illness. This book reframes death as a beautiful, meaningful and pleasurable experience.
A book about how to craft memorial services and other ceremonies to help ease the pain after someone dies.
Sacred Dying; Creating rituals for embracing the end of life by Megory Anderson.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. A true and inspirational story about the last thoughts and remembrances of a tremendous (and dying) man as shared with his protégé.

Inner Healing Work

The Fitness Instinct by Peg Jordan R.N.
Inner Work; Using dreams and active imagination for personal growth by Robert A. Johnson.
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S. R.D., and Elyse Resch, M.S., R.D. F.A.D.A.
Second Sight by Judith Orloff, M.D.
Take Time for Your Life by Cheryl Richardson.
When Anger Hurts by Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Peter D. Rogers, Ph.D. and Judith McKay, R.N.
When Food is Love; Exploring the relationship between eating and intimacy by Geneen Roth.

Home

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston.
Creating a Beautiful Home by Alexandra Stoddard.
Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard.

Career

The 8th Habit by Stephen R. Covey.
Guerilla Marketing Attack; New strategies, tactics and weapons for winning big profits from your small business by Jay Conrad Levinson.
Making Work Work by Julie Morgenstern.
Marketing Without Advertising by Michael Phillips and Salli Raspberry. Nolo Press.
Roadtrip Nation; A guide to discovering your path in life by Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard with Janne Gordon

Financial Planning

Car Buyer's and Leaser's Negotiating Bible by W. James Bragg.
Die Broke by Stephen Pollan. This book explains the new economic realities and a plan of attack for thriving financially. I love the section at the end that explains financial concepts in an easy in understand language. Good primer on financial issues. Covers subjects like "how much insurance to buy" and "when do you get social security." (See "Live Rich" also by Stephen Pollan).
How to Get What You Want in Life with the Money You Already Have by Carol Keeffe. This is an inspirational book to get you started saving for your dreams. It is your ticket to a sense of wealth and security. Great book for people who feel trapped in the bill paying, never get ahead cycle.
Live Rich by Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine.
The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen.
Prince Charming Isn't Coming; How women get smart about money by Barbara Stanny.
Real Estate Riches by Dolf DeRoos, Ph.D. One of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad Advisor series of books.
"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" series of books by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter, including: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Cashflow Quadrant, Rich Dad's Guide to Investing, and, Prophecy.
Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising strategies to up your earnings and change your life by Barbara Stanny.
Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez. The book helps you transform you relationship with money, and achieve financial independence. It helps you understand the true value of your labor and price your services accordingly. It's a good education on how you can spend less and live more free.

Lawyering/Conflict Resolution

Beyond Winning; Negotiating to Create Value in Deals and Disputes by Robert H. Mnooking, Scott R. Peppet, and Andrew S. Tulumello
The Cultural Creatives; How 50 million people are changing the world by Paul H. Ray, Ph.D. and Sherry Ruth Anderson, Ph.D.
Double Billing; A young lawyers tale of greed, sex, lies and the pursuit of a swivel chair by Cameron Stracher.
Getting to Yes; Negotiating agreement without giving in by Roger Fisher and William Ury (of the Harvard Negotiation Project).
Running From the Law; why good lawyers are getting out of the legal profession by Deborah L. Arron.
Transforming Practices; Finding joy and satisfaction in the legal life by Steven Keeva (An ABA Journal Book).
The Way of Conflict; Elemental wisdom for resolving disputes and transcending differences by Deidre Combs.

Do-it-Yourself Law Books

If you plan to handle your own family law matter, I recommend you buy form books from Nolo Press. They have many choices.

General Legal Reference Books

Every family should own a general legal reference book. This is an excellent starting point for quick research on a legal issue.

The American Bar Association Family Legal Guide - This may be the best home legal guide that I have reviewed. It has an easy to understand format. In some subject areas, this guide sets forth the particular laws of each state. It includes helpful telephone numbers and contact information. It is particularly helpful with Federal information.
The Consumer Reports Law Book by Carol Haas - I highly endorse this book. It covers most of the legal subjects people want to know about from constitutional rights to harassing creditors. Each chapter has an examples section setting forth a sample "problem" and then the "solution." Much information is packed into the book. Its' only drawback is that it lacks information specific to Washington.
The Jacoby and Meyers Practical Guide to Everyday Law by Gail Koff - This book covers all the basic areas of law with a simple, easy to understand question, answer format. Does not contain a discussion of Washington laws.
The Reader's Digest Legal Question and Answer Book - I like this book for its use of lists and helpful charts. The layout of the book makes it easy to use.

Negotiation

The Book of Agreement: 10 Essential Elements for Getting the Results You Want by Stewart Levine- contains 30 model agreements for business, professional and personal uses.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreements Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury- the classic book on negotiation, originating from Harvard.
How to Out Negotiate Anyone Even a Car Dealer by Leo Reilly - If negotiation scares or befuddles you, this is an entertaining and comprehensible book that will give you the skills to get a good deal.

Links

Here are my website recommendations.

Law-related and legal forms

www.nolo.com: Great law book resource. It has a funny and informative legal tips column called Ask Auto Nolo.
www.wsba.org: This page can link you to sites with the Washington Statutes, Washington Administrative Code and State Legislation.
www.courts.wa.gov/forms: This is the state's website with all its court forms, including all the necessary divorce forms.
www.metrokc.gov/kcscc: Forms for King County matters
www.courts.wa.gov/notifications: Sign up for case updates and legal form updates
www.divorcenet.com: This has helpful articles on the divorce process.
www.divorcemag.com: I think you will find this magazine and website useful during your divorce passage.
www.proactive-coach.com/divorce: I find this divorce manifesto to be important.
www.collaborativepractice.com: The national group for collaborative law.
www.washcl.org: The local Washington collaborative law group.
www.iahl.org: The international alliance of holistic professionals.
www.renaissancelawyers.com: The other holistically-oriented attorney website.

Attorneys & Other Professionals

Shop for an attorney as you would shop for a car, computer or any expensive item. Ask lots of questions, get the price up front, and trust your intuition. Do you like the person? Would you be happy with him or her as a confidant? Do you think s/he appears enthusiastic about your case? Can you communicate well with this attorney? Does he or she listen to you? Do you trust that this attorney is smart enough to resolve the matter to your satisfaction? Remember, just getting a good grade in school does not mean that the attorney is street smart, or knows how to get along with people. A good personality goes a long way in resolving disputes or giving sensible, cost-effective advice.

Bankruptcy

Brad Gibson: From the reports I've gotten from clients who have used Brad, they have been very happy with his services.
at J. Bradley Gibson
206/264-8422
1001 Fourth Avenue, Suite 3200
Seattle
bradgibson@jbgibson.com

Corporate Law

Stu Heller: You're in good hands with this senior attorney who has had a distinguished career representing restaurants.
at Heller Law
206/623-0579
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 940
Seattle
hellerlaw@aol.com

Stacey Romberg: Stacey is in the Greenwood neighborhood and has created a niche for herself doing corporate business work for women's entrepreneurial start-ups.
at Stacey Romberg
206/784-5305
Greenwood
info@staceyromberg.com

Criminal Law

Geoffrey Burg: Geoff is who I would call if the cops stopped me for a DUI.
at Law Office of Geoffrey Burg
206/467-2607
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 535
Seattle
geoff@glblaw.com

Douglas Stratemeyer: Douglas has been defending accused people for ten years. He is a very nice writer.
at Stratemeyer Law
206/684-9397
1001 Fourth Avenue, Suite 3200
Seattle
info@stratemeyerlaw.com

Elder Law/Guardianships

Joan Middleton, Attorney at Law
at Joan Middleton
425/557-5910
22525 SE 64th Place, Suite 270
Issaquah
kindlawyer@hotmail.com

International Law

Frederick Arcala: Frederick is a relatively new lawyer, but I think that you will find what he might lack in experience he makes up for in zest, enthusiasm and dedication to the practice of law.
at Arcala & Zwerin PLLC
206/545-2998
215 NE 40th Street, Suite C-3
Seattle
Frederick@arcala-law.com

Patent Law

Richard Black: Richard has had a stunning career building a practice of a multi-attorney law firm.
at Black, Lowe & Graham PLLC
206/381-3300
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4800
Seattle, WA 98104
Richard@blacklaw.com

Patrick Dwyer: Patrick is a patent attorney with the demeanor of a professor.
at Patrick Dwyer
206/343-7074
1818 Westlake Ave N, Suite 114
Seattle, WA 98109
pmdwyer@earthlink.net

Brian Geoghegan: Brian is an irreverent and hip trademark and copyright attorney.
at GeoMark
206/282-7199
900 Aurora Ave N, Suite 302
Seattle, WA 98103
206/282-7199
info@geomarklaw.com

Personal Injury

Bob Anderton
at Anderton Law
206/262-9290
600 First Avenue, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98104
bob@andertonlaw.com

Jeff Herman
at Jeff Herman Law
206/223-1601
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 535
Seattle, WA 98101
jefflawyer@aol.com

Plaintiff's Employment

Marilyn Endriss: You won't find somebody more compassionate, strong-headed and experienced in employment issues on behalf of terminated employees than Marilyn Endriss.
at Endriss & Read PLLC
206/441-1980
2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1250
Seattle, WA 98121
mendriss@endriss-read.com

Probate

Tara Roberts at Puget Sound Law: Tara Roberts is very personable and the president of the solo section of the King County Bar Association.
at Puget Sound Law
206/285-3361
700 N 75th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
Roberts@pugetsoundlaw.com

Real Estate

Paul Drayna: Paul has educated realtors and is very knowledgeable about this area of law.
at Law Office of Paul Drayna
206/525-1225
5424 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
paul@draynalaw.com

Trusts

Ben Porter: Ben is especially good for complicated trusts and has written a textbook on trust and estate matters.
at Porter, Kohli & LeMaster, P.S.
206/624-8890
1301 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2600
Seattle, WA 98101
bporter@porterkohli.com

Worker's Compensation

Mary Shima and Betsy Reeve at Reeve Shima, PC: Although these fine women ordinarily represent employers, if you have a worker's compensation claim, I might start with them to get a good recommendation. If you're lucky, they will be willing to take your case.
at Reeve Shima PC
206/624-4004
500 Union Street, Suite 800
Seattle, WA 98101
mshima@reeveshima.com
ereeve@reeveshima.com

Legal - Law Firm Efficiency

Lily Casura at Efficient Law Office: Lily helps law firms become more efficient in their use of technology.
at Efficient Law Office

(206) 763-3758
lily@efficientlawoffice.com

Legal - Mediators

Alan Alhadeff: I enjoy Alan for his left-of-center approach to life and mediation. at Alhadeff Mediation Services 206/281-9950 1200 Westlake Ave N Suite 1006 Seattle, WA 98109 info@mediationservices.net

Don Desonier: Don has been doing mediation since the early days.
at Desonier Law & Mediation
425/453-1252
10900 NE 8th Street, Suite 900
Bellevue, WA 98004
don@desoniermediation.com

Rina Goodman: Rina has lots of different work experience, but she has recently committed to mediation. If you want to give a new mediator a chance, I recommend that you give Rina a try. She is an attorney.
at Transforming Conflict, LLC
206/523-7100
601 Union Street
Suite 4200-200
Seattle, WA 98101
rina@transformingconflictllc.com

Michael Louden: Michael is my personal favorite for mediation. He is a good mediator and he also does a program through the KCBA where he charges only $125/hr for the first three hours of mediation.
at The Public Advocate
206/689-8586
999 Third Avenue, Suite 1080
Seattle, WA 98104
louden@speakeasy.net

Jeanette Nyden: Jeanette is a mediator who also teaches and speaks on the issue of helping women negotiate more effectively.
at Sound Resolutions
206/240-7678
5005 51st Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98118
jn@soundresolutions.net

Legal Clinics & Low-Cost Alternatives

Arts

Arts Legal Clinic
(206) 338-7053
Free help to artists.
http://www.wa-artlaw.org/clinic.html

Family Law

Columbia Legal Services
(206) 464-5933
$24 per copy of self-help dissolution book with forms

Eastside Legal Assistance Program
(425) 747-7274
Orders for low-income DV victims/Free Do-it-yourself Dissolution Workshop
http://www.elap.org

Free Internet Forms, Instructions, and Materials

http://www.nwjustice.org

Fremont Family Law Clinic
(206) 783-2848
Call on Weds from 1-3 for free one hour consult.
http://www.nwwlc.org/main/content/issues/familylaw/selfhelp.shtml

"How to Finish Your Divorce" Seminar
(206) 296-0940
2nd Wednesday of each month/In Seattle courthouse
http://www.kcll.org

King County/Family Law Facilitator at Downtown Courthouse
(206) 296-9092
http://www.metrokc.gov/kcsc/famlaw/facilitator.htm

Kent Regional Justice Center/Family Law Facilitator
(206) 205-2526
Free assistance with completing family law divorce forms, and in person appointments available.

Legal Research and Training Center - Seattle
(206) 296-0940
http://www.kcll.org

Protection Order Advocacy Program, Kind County Court
Seattle (206) 296-9547 Kent (206) 205-7406
Paperwork provided/Advocacy and assistance with protection orders
http://www.protectionorder.org

Volunteer Settlement Conference Program
Seattle (206) 205-6770 Kent (253) 852-2345
Free regardless of income/volunteer attorneys assist king county citizens in settling divorce prior to trial.

General Legal Issues

Columbia Legal Services
(206) 464-5911
For legal help to the very poor. Sells very good family law books on subjects like modification of child support/parenting plans.
http://www.columbialegal.org/

King County Dispute Resolution Center
(206) 443-9603
For dispute resolution on matters with a lower economic value dog bites, neighbor disputes, etc.
http://www.kcdrc.org/

Neighborhood Legal Clinics
(206) 340-2593
Free 30 minute consults.
http://www.kcba.org/CLS/NLC/clients.html

Northwest Justice Project
(888) 201-1014
Assistance to the poor. Free legal education materials available for downloading at internet site.
http://www.nwjustice.org

Northwest Women Law Center Hotline
(206) 621-7691
For men and women. Call hotline for free answers to questions and attorney referrals. They can't return all calls so call several times to get your call returned. They have free pamphlets on variety of topics. Great book for sale on Divorcing in Washington.
http://www.nwwlc.org/

Protection Orders

Protection Order Advocacy
(206) 296-9547
Help getting a protection order.
http://www.metrokc.gov/proatty/pop

Senior Citizens

Elder Law Clinics: Seattle & Kent
(206) 448-5720

Senior Citizen Information & Assistance
(206) 448-3110

Senior Citizens' Legal Assistance
(206) 448-5720
http://www.seniorservices.org/SRA/sra.asp

Senior Services of Seattle/Kent County
(206) 448-5757