The unthinkable has happened. Your marriage is now a statistic -- and not a good one. The person you thought you would grow old and lose your teeth with is now your legal opponent. If you feel like getting really depressed, there are plenty of nightmarish stories about horrifying breakups on the WWW. But we think you'll be better off regarding the 'Net as a tool that can help you survive the awful and complex ordeal of divorce.

Resources on Divorce

A good place to start is a straightforward page called DivorceInfo that concludes "Divorce Stinks." It will get you thinking about the important issues: division of property, parenting plans, child support and spousal support.

Divorce Online is another excellent site with resources to help you through this heartbreaking time. The practically-minded can look up a professional referral (i.e., financial, legal, psychological or real estate) while the whiny may prefer to visit He Said...She Said, a bulletin board for some major sharing.

Legal Issues

DivorceNet is a comprehensive site about the legal issues of divorce. A state-by-state resource guide will help you to find the human beings you need on your side, while interactive message centers and chat provide virtual support and shoulders to cry on. Meanwhile, Divorce: Military Style has guidelines for those in government employ or the service.

The balanced and positive orientation of Marital Status is endearing. Areas such as Emotional Storm Warning, outlining the sufferingtic effect of divorce on kids, and The Financial Costs of Divorce beg the question, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" But if you're absolutely sure, the site encourages you to hire a lawyer and get on with your life. Finally, we love the fact that the War of the Roses contest solicits and rewards both horror stories and stories of relatively painless readjustment.

Divorce Source specializes in state-specific legalities. Family law links and the Divorce Dictionary are two of its more colorful offerings.

Are you more scared of greedy lawyers than of your ex? You can save some of the tremendous financial cost of divorce by filing the divorce papers by phone or online through a secure server at the Divorce Institute. Be sure to check your state's requirements first -- and have that Visa card ready.

Newsgroups

Once the deed is done, it may take a long time to adjust and cope with the life change. There are many newsgroups (alt.child-support, alt.support.divorce) devoted to coping and support for divorcees and their families. Divorce Source also has a live chat for sharing the misery and support.

Perhaps, when all is said and done, you'll wish you had visited a page entitled Don't Get Married! before you took the vows. Sure, Mr. Perkel's a bit eccentric, but it could have happened just the way he says it did. Or by all means, go ahead and take the plunge, bearing in mind the words of the great Socrates: "By all means marry; if you get a good wife you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." I bet he slept on the couch that night.