PREFACE

The anguish and humiliation was palpable the second she walked into the door. She smiled weakly and nervously sat down in the chair that I waved her to. She was at least six feet from me, yet the pain and grief that reverberated from her felt like a twenty-foot wave crashing over me. I immediately knew her story; I had heard it so many times.

I asked her if she wanted coffee, and she said no, looking down at the floor as she grasped and wrung her handbag and tried to muster up the courage to tell me what happened I gave her the most reassuring smile I could summon and asked her what was going on, what could I do for her. She slowly and reluctantly began to tell me her story as the blush of shame crept over her and her eyes alternated between darting glances at me and long, studious inspections of the floor.

Her name was Beverly. She had been happily married, or so she thought, to Bill for twenty-two years. They had three kids. Everything was going so well. They had a nice home, the kids did well in school, and although the passion she and Bill felt toward each other when they first married had faded they had a warm, contented marriage. Bill worked hard and took good financial care of them.

But her life had turned upside down a few months ago when Bill suddenly announced that he was leaving their marriage, his business was failing, and they owed tons of money to creditors and to the IRS. Bill had disappeared, and Beverly was besieged with persistent demands from their creditors. At the same time, she discovered that the documents she innocently signed when asked to by Bill were in fact mortgages against the only property she and Bill owned and now the money and their equity in the property were all gone.

Beverly and her kids faced total financial ruin, and they were on their own. How did this happen, she asked herself? Why had she relied solely on Bill to make sure their finances were sound? Why hadn't she done more to protect herself and her kids? How were they going to make ends meet?

This story, or one like it, happens to women far too often, and that is why I wrote this book. I have represented too many women who suffered such harm, and I want to help you avoid the same type of financial and emotional trauma that can befall you if you do not take care of your legal affairs.

Your greatest protection from legal and financial harm is awareness of your legal risks and your legal responsibilities, and your willingness to take responsibility for your legal affairs. This book will tell you how to do it
—Marilyn Barrett, Attorney-at-Law