If you need immediate assistance, check the links below:

Crisis Kit - "sudden" divorce situation
Help with the Message Boards or Chat Room
Help with finding a Family-Law attorney
Help with finding specific information
Help with Contacting SPARC


If you're a recent arrival to the SPARC site, we'd suggest doing the following:

1. Read the Steps To Protect Yourself page.
   
   
2. Read the Tips For Getting Started page.
   
   
3. Get an account on the message boards and start asking questions.
   
   
4. Come to one of the chat sessions to get live feedback and ideas.
   
   
5. Use the SPARC Search Engine to find specific information you're interested in.
   
   
6. Browse the FAQ Center to see if there are answers to your questions there.

• If you're in a "sudden" divorce situation (served papers or told by your spouse that he/she is leaving, etc), read these pages immediately:
  
     Protecting Yourself During Divorce
     First Aid Kit For Divorcing Dads
  
  
• If you find yourself facing any criminal allegations of domestic violence or sexual abuse, read these pages:
  
     What To Do If Accused Of Sexual Abuse
     Criminal Allegations Of Sex Abuse
     False Accusations Of Abuse
  
  
  
• Also read these pages as soon as possible:
  
     The Layman's Guide To Being A Good Client
     Success Factors In Obtaining Custody
     If Your Spouse Steals Your Child
     Legal Handbook On Child Kidnapping

Here are some of the most common difficulties we find people have with the message boards and chat room, along with the solutions:

• Unable To Register:
  1) If you use America Online (AOL) or the AOL browser, this is almost certainly the problem. Try another browser temporarily to get registered, then switch back to the AOL browser if you like.
  
  2) Check the date on your PC- an incorrect date may prevent registration.
  
  

• Error Messages About Cookies
  1) Make sure that cookies are enabled in your browser.
  
  2) Don't use a program that tries to 'fool' web sites into thinking you're accepting cookies when you're not.
  
  3) Check the date on your PC- an incorrect date will cause cookie 'errors' even when you have cookies properly enabled.
  
  4) Proxy-servers and 'anonymizer' web services often interfere with cookies. Try registering without using the proxy-server or anonymizer service.
  
  

• Chat Room Won't Take Name & Password
  It's possible that you've picked a name already in use, or you may have tried to use an 'illegal' name. Note that the Chat Room password is not the same as the message forums password.
  
  

• Trouble Logging In To Chat
  If you have trouble logging to chat, in or are forwarded to the Main Boards page instead of entering chat, close *all* your browser windows, then open a new browser and login.
  
  

• HTTP Referrer Error Message
  This error message is often caused by various internet security software packages such as Nortons, Zone Alarm, etc. You will need to configure your software to allow 'Referrer Logging'. Consult your software's User Manula for information on how to do this. For Norton Internet Security software, view this page for specific instructions: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nip.nsf/docid/2000070515373136
  
  

• 'I Forgot My Password' and Other Problems
  You can request a temporary password for the message boards. Go here and fill out the form to get a new, temporary password emailed to you. We cannot recover your password for the chatroom; if you lost it, email us and ask that we delete the account so that you may re-create it with a new password.

There are a couple of ways to locate an attorney through the SPARC Site:

• Use the SPARC Professional Directory. Attorneys listings are arranged by State, and a search engine is available to help locate attorneys by name, address, or city.
  
  

• Another good way to locate an attorney is to ask for a referral on the message boards. Chances are one or more people on the message boards can refer you to an attorney near you.

• Hiring An Effective Attorney
• How To Hire An Attorney

The best way to find specific information on the SPARC Site is to use the Search Engine. Enter one or two words that describe what you're looking for and press the Search button.

• If you get too many pages returned as 'hits', then try adding another word or two to the search request. Because the Search Engine default is to search for ALL of the words you enter, too many words may prevent finding anything that matches your request. If using several words or a phrase, see below.
  
  
• If you get no pages back (or only a few pages), check your spelling. Spelling errors are the most common reason for not getting any hits from a search. Also try selecting the 'Find ANY Word' option. This option is best used when searching on a single word. (Note that the Search Engine default is to search for ALL of the words you enter.)

If you need to contact us, try one of the following methods:

• -Our main email address. Use it for general inquiries, requests, donations, and all other issues.
  
  
• U.S. Mail Address:
  
   SPARC
   P.O. Box 82764
   Kenmore WA 98028-0764