Top Ten Reading List

Breaking Upwards – How to Manage the Emotional Impact of Separation

Charlotte Friedman

Divorce is not just a legal process, it’s an emotional one too. The break-up of a relationship can be devastating, leaving you overwhelmed with anger and grief. The author of this book was a former barrister decided to move from the courtroom to the therapist’s chair in order to help people manage the emotional fall-out of divorce. She offers calm, therapeutic advice on everything from how to manage loneliness to letting go of grievance, and draws on illuminating case studies to answer questions such as:

• How long before I get over this divorce?
• How do I tell the children?
• How do I cope with the new partner in my ex’s life?

Find Your Way Through Divorce

Jill Curtis

Most volumes on divorce are written by lawyers with an emphasis on the legal problems involve, but for couples splitting up it is the emotional struggle which is uppermost. There are ways you can deal with the break-up of a mrriage which should lessen the trauma of divorce. This book aims to put you on the right path.

Mars & Venus Starting Over

John Gray

This offers a practical guide for understanding the emotional pain experienced by both men and women after a break-up. A broken heart can be healed, we are told. We are helped to come to terms with our loss and move on.

Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends

Dr Bruce Fisher

This book focuses on divorce recovery and putting ones life “back together” following a divorce.A client of McAlister Family Law described this book as “thoroughly informative and certainly restored the feel-good factor in someone who has not had positive thoughts and emotions for some time.”

The Good Divorce

Constance Ahrons

We are told that it is never too late to have a good divorce.Described as a powerful tonic for the millions of divorcing and long-divorces parents who are tired of hearing only the damage reports. It apparently will make us change the way we think about divorce and the way we divorce, reconfirming our commitment to children and families.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

Susan Jeffers

This fabulous book gives plenty of advice on how to overcome fear and heal the pain caused by the end of a relationship.It also provides advice and guidance on other emotions such as being alone, intimacy, decision-making and more.

Families and How to Survive Them

Robyn Skinner and John Cleese

This great book offers something a little different and is a title that everyone should read.Written by the actor John Cleese and Robyn Skinner the book is not only helpful but does make you smile.One reader wrote a review on amazon and said: “I am in a real tough period of my life, so I got this book as a recommendation to help cope with things that are bothering me. It helped me, as someone who has not studied psychology, to understand why people do things they do, what made them be like they are, and it helped me to start thinking about things I can change in my life to get it more bearable.”

Getting Past Your Break Up

Susan J. Elliott

According to the author “starting today, this breakup is the best time to change your life for the better, inside and out.” Through her workshops and popular blog, Susan Elliott has helped thousands of people transform their love lives. Now in Getting Past Your Breakup, she’ll help you put your energy back where it belongs–on you. Her plan includes:

• The rules of disengagement: how and why to go “no contact” with your ex
• How to work through grief, move past fear, and take back your life
• The secret to breaking the pattern of failed relationships
• What to do when you can’t stop thinking about your ex, texting, calling, checking social networking sites, or driving by the house

I Want a Divorce

Simone Katzenburg

Aiming to link the emotional and legal aspects of divorce without becoming weighed down by either psychological or legal jargon, this book begins with an analysis of the divorce process in seven stages: breakdown, shock, anger, pain, hatred, grief and acceptance. It then describes the legal process and how to negotiate it: solicitors, costs, first moves, finances, housing, types of orders, mediation, procedures and courts. Case studies are presented to illustrate experiences common to many marriage crises, and a list of relevant addresses and telephone numbers is provided.

The Little Book of Calm

Paul Wilson

The team at McAlister Family Law believe that this book which we describe as a” little gem”, should be on every person’s book shelf. A must read, this book is “full of wise advice to follow and thoughts to inspire”.