What happens when love isn't enough? When you've tried everything and the marriage isn't working? When divorce seems like the only answer?

No one is ever really prepared for how complex and stressful the process will be, or how many difficult decisions have to be made before husband and wife can divorce. The choices are critical, because your entire future is at stake.

Unfortunately, too many people end up getting a divorce the traditional way: by hiring lawyers and going to court. The cost is huge, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the end no one really wins, and both parties have spent their investments, retirement funds, or the children's college education fund on lawyer's fees and court costs.

There is an alternative. "Cooperative divorce" is a process in which husband and wife work together to reach an agreement on issues such as parenting plans and financial plans. It sounds impossible, especially to individuals still struggling to accept the idea that the marriage is over. However, you don't have to like your spouse to negotiate an agreement. What you have to do is recognize that cooperation is in your own best interest, whether you want the divorce or not. You must be willing to set aside your emotions, take responsibility for the decisions, and get help.