For women contemplating divorce or for those who have already divorced, Ashton Applewhite's insightful book sheds light on what to consider before making the decision to end your marriage, how to protect yourself—both financially and emotionally—and how much your life will change. One out of every two modern marriages ends in divorce, and 75 percent of those divorces are initiated by wives. Author Ashton Applewhite is one of these women, having sued for divorce after enduring an unfulfilling ten-year marriage. Cutting Loose is an essential resource for women who want to leave their marriage but fear the consequences. Shattering the media-generated image of the lonely, deprived and financially strapped divorcee, Applewhite provides a much needed reality check. Cutting Loose introduces 50 women, varying in age, race, class and predicament, who have thrived after initiating their own divorces. Their fears of financial, emotional and romantic ruin were never realized; on the contrary, their lives improved immeasurably, and their self-esteem soared. Cutting Loose also answers the crucial questions: How do you finally decide to make the big break? What is getting divorced really like? What are the shortcomings of the legal process? What about custody and child support? Financial and emotional survival? And how does a woman's self-image change during and after divorce? "Ending any kind of oppression takes belief in self. Cutting Loose offers moving evidence of how such belief works, whether in a relationship or walking the road alone. Perceptive, realistic, and wise, the book is of enormous practical value to both women and men who aspire to more equal and fulfilling relationships."—Laura Day, author of Practical Intuition