The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger FIC Rie

Sophie Diehl, a young criminal law associate for an old, established New England law firm, gets roped into doing the intake interview for the daughter of the firm's biggest client when all of the partners are away one weekend.  Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim was served divorce papers at a prominent upscale restaurant -- and learned of Dr. Daniel Durkheim's affair with a colleague -- after 18 years of marriage.  Mia is not out for her husband's blood (or money), but wants to humiliate him and even the score.  Sophie warns Mia that she’s never handled a divorce case before, but Mia won't be swayed; she wants Sophie.  As Mia puts it:  It’s her first divorce, too. 

Old family money (Mia's), current and future money (Daniel's, courtesy of a medical degree and prominent career as an oncologist), and custody of the Durkheims' young daughter, Jane, are all sources of contention for the Durkheim's, as well as for Mia's father, Jane's doting grandfather.  Sophie's experience as a criminal attorney colors her responses to the sleazy divorce attorney hired by Dr. Durkheim, cutting through the normal back-and-forth minutia like a sharp blade.  Meanwhile, Sophie finds herself examining her own relationships as a result of the whole affair: with her own divorced parents, her friends, colleagues, lovers, and with herself.

Smart and bitingly funny, this epistolary novel tells the story through emails, memos, personal notes, newspaper articles, and legal documents.  Not quite chick lit, it's an easy, fun read if you're looking for a little bit of brain candy.