Christina Rowe opted for her ex-husband’s share in their house instead of alimony after he spent a month in jail for skipping child support. Rowe figures that, over time, the move saved her about $20,000 in taxes.

Tax tips aren’t thrown around a lot during divorces, when emotional grenades are more likely to be tossed. But estranged spouses can save a lot by working together calmly on alimony, the sale of the house, income-tax filing status and timing of the divorce.

“Smart people say ‘I hate you, but I hate the Internal Revenue Service more,’ ” says Diana L. Mercer, an attorney and divorce mediator at Peace Talks Mediation Services in Playa del Ray, Calif., and co-author of the book Your Divorce Advisor.

Every divorce is different, so ignore anything that seems like blanket tax advice. It’s important to consult a good advisor, perhaps a lawyer or CPA, for the best approach.

In the case of Rowe, the trade-off between alimony and the house worked out. She would have had to pay tax on alimony because it is considered taxable income, but she didn't owe anything on the share of the house because property can be transferred tax-free in a divorce settlement. What saved taxes in her circumstances might not apply to others, however.

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When an individual is experiencing divorce this can be a very sad and lonely time and some people have trouble recovering.



Yet after a divorce, an individual is given a new chapter in their life to write in any way, shape or form. This is a chance for a person to do things they have only dreamed about.

If you are having trouble recovering from divorce and want to regain control of your life, you may want to consider hypnosis. 

Hypnosis is a form of therapy that works on an unconscious or a subconscious level. An individual who undergoes hypnosis will be placed into a deep state of relaxation.

It is during this deep state of relaxation that our subconscious mind is the most receptive to new ideas and perspectives. In the process of hypnosis, a person can learn how to visualize themselves recovered from their divorce, leading a happy and healthy life. Hypnosis allows a person to “see” themselves recovered and to “feel” how great life is after divorce.

Divorce does not have to remain a roadblock that is stopping you from living life.

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Since divorce obviously is here to stay, it would strange if there weren’t entrepreneurs ready, willing and able to make the most of a bad situation. How? By tapping into the latest trend: divorce parties.

While some women have issues with “celebrating” the end of a marriage, others are eager to throw themselves a giant hoohah once the final papers are signed. There are, believe or not, gift registries and party planners available for the newly divorced.

There are also Web sites, like plumparty.com, at which to purchase the appropriate party decorations and accessories. How about paper plates that say “No men! Amen!”? And what’s a party without music? Customized playlists invariably begin with the immortal Donna Summer’s “I Will Survive.”

Divorce even has its own variation on traditional party games: Care to play “Throw the Ring in the Toilet” or “Pin the Tail on the Ex”? And this may be taking it too far, but for the very bitter ex-spouse, consider gifting her with a voodoo doll.

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Chances are you’ve read about people trapped in unhappy marriages because they couldn’t sell their home, or couples whose lifestyles took a nosedive when they divorced.

Well, this weekend The New York Times ran an interesting story about real estate facilitating divorce!

For a number of years, Michele Kleier, a realtor on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, had a client who called her regularly to check on the price she could list her 9-room co-op for.

When the market was at its peak, the woman planned to divorce her husband, sell the apartment and live on her share of the profits.

This client went through with her plan, and now lives in a California condo, where she raves about the weather and revels in the distance she put between herself and her ex. “The real estate market allowed her to buy her freedom,” says Kleier.

Brokers and attorneys alike agree that the red-hot New York City real estate market has opened up a world of possibilities for unhappy couples. Up until 2006, it wasn’t that unusual to see home prices rise 20 or 30 percent a year, and though appreciation has slowed down, sales and market value haven’t. The price of the average Manhattan apartment this summer was $1.3 million. And the $3 million apartment is now the $7 million apartment. Half of that is a lot.

Gary Becker, an economist at the University of Chicago, has studied survey data and concludes that any couple who see a drastic rise (or drop) in net worth is at risk of divorce.