Marilyn Barrett's Womens' 10 Biggest Legal MIstakes and How To Avoid Them: Marriage and Divorce

Marilyn Barrett practices law in a Los Angeles, California firm as a tax and business attorney. Her no-nonsense approach to ten of the most common financial mistakes women (and some men) make is very interesting and educational. She takes some of the most complex family law issues and translates them into easy-to-understand language; and I hope you find her book, Just Sign Here Honey, to be as helpful as I did. 

CHAPTERS 

1. Signing Documents You Don't Read or Understand
The first chapter deals with issues that I always thought were common sense. She uses examples of famous people, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; and non-famous people, and how they were too trusting to address the issues of: Don't Sign Legal Documents Before You Read and Understand Them; Don't Sign Documents Until Your Lawyer Reviews Them; Don't Sign Blank Documents; Don't Sign For Loans You Don't Want To Be Liable For; and Never(or Almost Never) Deed Your Interest in Your Home To Your Husband. 

2.Failing to Protect Yourself in a Prenuptial Agreement
I always thought prenuptial agreements were for the rich or for the very untrusting. I can understand, after reading this chapter, why so many people are using prenuptial agreements to protect their assets. Marilyn defines what a prenuptial agreement is; what should be included in a prenuptial agreements; reading and understanding the prenuptial; and taking the emotion out of negotiating a prenuptial agreement. 

3. Failing To Protect Yourself and Your Children in Marriage
Marilyn outlines in this chapter that a wife is just as liable as a husband when it comes to splitting up marital assets, and being responsible for bills incurred during a marriage. She isn't just talking about divorce, but also what can happen when a spouse dies and leaves a trail of debt. Some of the topics she includes in this chapter are: Keeping Your Separate Property Separate; Understanding Your Husband's Job or Business; Being Insured; Liability for Debts; and a wonderful section on Domestic Violence.