COMPATIBLE DIVORCE

Jean Kerr once stated that ""A lawyer is never entirely comfortable with a friendly divorce, any more than a good mortician wants to finish his job and then have the patient sit up on the table."" Mr. Sherwin is a divorce lawyer and certainly would take issue with her since his entire book is devoted to helping other lawyers, counselors and contestants proceed equably through a very turbid area. Even the laws are archaic, inappropriate and apt to aggravate the innate hostility of any divorce action. ""The law, vague at best, varies from state to state, court to court, and judge to judge."" Broadly speaking, Mr. Sherwin covers the selection of an attorney and the necessary rapport; the separation action (a dead end); who gets the divorce and custody of the children (legally, the mother's superior rights are a myth); support and the extras (insurance, health, education); special problems--ultraviolence, homosexuality, etc. His book is very inclusive and incisive and filled with interesting but unfortunate cases. It is also extremely judicious and should prove helpful for that 25 to 40% statistic.