The Settlement

The premise

Shireen and her husband both want it over; neither wants to lose. From financial disclosure to the final order, the series shows how money is divided on divorce, what it costs to fight, and how the children notice everything the adults think they are hiding.

The protagonist

Shireen Akhtar-Doyle — Divorcing after eighteen years, with a house, two pensions and shared debts

The council

Every council member is an original fictional character. None represents, quotes or is endorsed by a real person.

How the story moves

Toward a financial hearing; each book closes an option and raises the stakes, until Shireen chooses a settlement that is fair rather than a victory.

What readers take away

• The divorce process and the separate financial case
• Full financial disclosure (Form E)
• How courts weigh needs, sharing and compensation
• Pensions on divorce and pension-sharing orders
• Options for the family home
• Spousal and child maintenance
• Mediation, arbitration and court compared
• How legal costs change outcomes
• Prepare a budget for life after divorce
• Understand Mesher and Martin orders
• Know the effect of remarriage on maintenance
• Understand clean-break orders

The books

1. 1The petition Planned
2. 2Disclosure Planned
3. 3Mediation Planned
4. 4The hearing Planned
5. 5After Planned

Book titles are working titles and may change before publication. No book is on sale until the complete series is finished, checked and released.