Online Divorce is Up

in

A look at the latest news headlines from around the country shows the current economic squeeze is having a definite effect on divorces in the Midwest. The lack of cash hasn’t stopped couples from divorcing, it is changing the way they get divorced though. Couples currently considering divorce now must cope with cash problems resulting from owing more than their homes are presently worth or high credit card balances they can’t make the payments on. The result is more people are taking the “do it yourself approach” to save on legal fees and are representing themselves in court more frequently.

In Waukegan, Illinois the Lake County Circuit Court has seen a 75% increase in Pro Se (do it yourself) divorces over a four year period. For couples without children, without huge debts and small estates to divide, self-representation can be a viable solution to the high costs of divorce attorneys. The great interest in do it yourself divorces is spreading nationwide thanks in part to the recent proliferation of Internet-based divorce services offering low-cost legal documents and instructions for divorces in all 50 states.

The Family Court division of Hennepin County, Minnesota recently noted that new divorce cases in the county had reached an all-time record high in April of 2009. A recent no cost volunteer attorney program designed to help settle difficult divorce cases in the county experienced an overwhelming response and was instantly filled to capacity as demand for legal help quickly exceeded the supply.

A recent survey conducted by the Institute for Certified Divorce Financial Analysts in Southfield, Michigan found that 68% of the analysts have clients who have postponed their divorces due to recession related financial problems. Most of the analysts agreed that the economic hard times have resulted in more delayed divorce cases as well as more couples trying to save money with do it yourself divorces instead of traditional legal representation by an attorney. Many analysts noted that the sagging economy has caused their clients to seek creative solutions to property-division problems as well. A full 40% of analysts responding indicated they have divorcing clients who have separated but still share different areas of a common home as they wait for market conditions to improve. It appears that divorcing couples in the United States are currently stuck in a holding pattern situation that may not improve until the economy does. 

Related Links:

     Online Divorce       Divorce Information      Find a Divorce Attorney