Many people choose to negotiate the terms of their divorce without hiring an attorney. They may choose to rely on local court resources, self-help books or internet services to help negotiate the divorce. Choosing to represent yourself may be a good option for you if: You feel comfortable filing court documents and negotiating with your spouse. The divorce was a mutual decision and both parties are amicable and willing to work together. There is little to no property to be divided. Your spouse is not hiring an attorney. There are no children. A mediator is a neutral third-party that you and your spouse hire to help you negotiate the terms of your divorce. The goal of mediation is to agree to a legally binding "Judgment of Dissolution," which sets forth the parameters of your divorce. A mediator does not provide legal advice but rather helps you and your spouse understand alternatives and come up with solutions to reach a settlement. A mediator may be a good choice for you if: You and your spouse openly and voluntarily share financial information. Both parties prefer to handle the specifics of their divorce in private rather than in court. You want someone to help facilitate a conversation and plan for parenting and custody. You wish to spend less money on the divorce. Even if you choose to use a mediator, you should consider hiring an attorney to review the settlement before it is finalized. A collaborative divorce is when both spouses retain attorneys with the purpose of reaching an out-of-court settlement. Collaborative attorneys do not represent individuals in court but rather facilitate exchange of documents, negotiating custody issues and property distribution in an amicable and cooperative manner. A collaborative divorce may be a good choice for you if: Both parties want the divorce and it is not contentious. Both parties agree to a collaborative process. Both attorneys agree not to become involved in litigation over the divorce. Both parties agree to turn over all relevant documents and information. Both parties agree to act in the best interest of their children, if any, and to not use those children in the divorce proceedings. It may be in your best interest to hire an attorney to handle your divorce. Experienced family law attorneys will know how to negotiate a divorce settlement, understand and complete all of the specific paperwork, serve and file court documents, and make appearances in court, if necessary. Choosing to hire an attorney may be the right decision for you if: You are concerned that your spouse is hiding assets or not turning over complete financial information. The divorce is contentious. There is a fight over child custody. You are uncomfortable filling out and filing court documents. Your spouse has an attorney. You can locate attorneys in a number of ways, including: Referral from friend or family member. If someone you know used an attorney for their divorce, you can ask them whether they would recommend that attorney. A recommendation from a trusted person who has personal experience with an attorney is a good place to start. Local or state legal bar associations. Local and state bar associations often provide referral services to attorneys in your area. Through state bar associations, you can check whether any complaints were filed against your prospective attorney. The American Bar Association has compiled a list of state-by-state resources that can direct you to attorney referral sites, such as contact information for state bar associations. The ABA provides this information at http://apps.americanbar.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm State Bar-certified lawyer referral service in your area. You can find a list of certified lawyer referral services on the California Bar's website at: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/LawyerReferralServicesLRS.aspx. You can also contact the California Bar at 1-866-44-CA-LAW (442-2529) or from out of state at 415-538-2250. California is a community property state, which means that property accumulated during the marriage is considered marital property and the overall value of shared property is divided evenly. If you owned property before the marriage, that property is considered separate property and it is not subject to division. California courts allow couples to decide how the property will be divided; however, a judge must sign off on the agreement and issue a final order.

Summary: Represent yourself in the divorce. Hire a mediator. Engage in a collaborative divorce. Hire an attorney. Locate an attorney. Understand property division in California.

If you don't have liners, grease the cups using vegetable oil or butter to keep the cupcakes from sticking. Test to see whether the cupcakes are done by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, they're ready. If it's still wet, bake the cupcakes for another five minutes. Place them on a wire rack or on the counter to cool completely. If you frost them too quickly, the icing will melt off.

Summary: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Place 12 cupcake liners into a cupcake pan. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

Before you can begin to overcome a fear of success, you have to understand what success means to you. Even though it may be tough to pinpoint specifically what being successful means to you, doing this will help you understand exactly what it is you're fearing. Be sure to identify your vision for personal and professional success. Ask yourself, "What does success look and feel like to me? How will I know if I'm successful? What will I do and how will I act when I'm successful?" Write down as your answers to these questions. Include answers that may not seem to relate to success if they pop into your head. For example, if you think "Success looks like luxury," write that. Be as specific as possible. For example, instead of writing, "If I have a lot of money I'll know I'm successful," write something like, "I'll know I'm successful when I have $10 million in savings." Sometimes when we are afraid we can recognize the feeling, but not still understand exactly what we're afraid of. In order to overcome your fear, you have to ask yourself what specifically you are afraid of and where the fear cam from. Once you know what you're really afraid of, you can work to overcome your fear. Try asking yourself, "Am I fearful of this because someone put it in my head? Or, is it based on past mistakes or failures?" If the fear is truly unfounded, this may help you let go of it. Look over your list of definitions of success. Think about each item on the list and how you feel about it. For instance, if success is winning a football championship, how will you feel if you do win? Write a few words that describe how you feel about each item. For instance, if you wrote "success is graduating," you might write, "means I'm not a child anymore; makes me nervous about responsibilities." Pay attention to signs of success that give you negative feelings. For example, if you listed financial security as a sign of success and you noted it makes you think of loneliness, you may want to explore why this is. Being honest with yourself about just how your fear of success is holding you back is one way to overcome it. Take some time to think about specific ways in which your fear of success is limiting your potential and your future success. Write down examples of how you have sabotaged yourself. For instance, you might write, "I procrastinated on my report." Also, write about what might have happened if you hadn't let your fear hold you back. For example, you may write something like, "I could have gotten the raise and afford the vacation I want." Take a moment to thoroughly visualize yourself succeeding. Positive visualizations may help to eliminate your fear. Writing a short statement declaring that you aren't going to let fear stop you from succeeding and reaching your goals any more is a concrete way to overcome your fear. Doing this can help you improve your self-confidence, as well as remind you that your fear of success doesn't control your life. Write a sentence or two along the lines of, "I am not a victim of my fear. I am not afraid of success. I will be successful and I will enjoy it." Read your statement out-loud on a regular basis. For instance, you might read it before work each morning or before a major presentation. You can also read your declaration to an accountability partner who can help keep you focused on your goal. You may be more likely to follow through with things if someone is holding you accountable.
Summary: Ask yourself how you define success. Question what about success scares you. Determine how fear is limiting you. Declare defeat of your fear.