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Cut price divorces.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:07 pm
by Gob
Oxford solicitors' half-price divorce offer 'tacky'
An Oxford solicitors firm's promotion offering half-price divorces to couples going through a break-up has been labelled "tacky" by a religious leader.
Hine Solicitors, in Summertown, said it was slashing prices from £800 to £400 to attract new business in January.
Katie Lowndes, from the firm, said it was acting "responsibly" and was not "encouraging" people to get divorced.
The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev John Prichard, said it was "a bit tacky" to try to profit from people's misery.
The firm, which has recently moved to the town, has printed leaflets featuring the offer as well a promotion on its website.
It said that anybody who sought a divorce through them would always be offered counselling and mediation.
Ms Lowndes told the BBC that more divorces were reported to happen in January.
"I don't think our promotion would increase or encourage people to get divorced," she said.
"I think if a couple is going through difficulties and they have decided together that they want to have a divorce, then of course they would probably be looking [at] going to a solicitor in January anyway.
"They really need to be sure that it's the right decision for them, because divorce is a big life-changing decision and it shouldn't be taken light-heartedly."
Mr Prichard said he would have preferred half-price mediation, encouraging couples to stick together.
"It's a bit tacky isn't it, to go and try to make a profit out of other people's misery," he said.
"I think couples in distress could do without that kind of encouragement.
"I do think it's a bit ingenuous to say that the solicitors are not trying to encourage people towards divorce - if they are not trying to encourage by a half-price offer then why offer it?
"I think its appealing to the wrong part of our brain and emotions at this time.
"Marriage is precious and by far the majority of people really do look for a life-long partnership and really do want it to work."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ox ... e-12000141
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:14 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
In this economy, any way to save a buck.
Can it be outsourced to China or India?
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:26 pm
by Scooter
The notion that anyone would be "encouraged" to get a divorce because it costs £400 rather than £800 is ridiculous. Would someone get a half-price appendectomy if it wasn't medically necessary, just because it was on sale?
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:32 pm
by Gob
It may be that those struggling for money may take it up, where as in the past they may just have seperated.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:36 pm
by Scooter
Sure, but their intent in that case is obviously to no longer be a couple. Better that their status be settled legally rather than remain in limbo.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:45 pm
by Gob
Yep, I agree. (I also agree with your first post.)
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 3:11 am
by dales
My divorce cost me an arm and a leg.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 12:46 am
by BoSoxGal
But not a house?
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 2:34 am
by loCAtek
Scooter wrote:Sure, but their intent in that case is obviously to no longer be a couple. Better that their status be settled legally rather than remain in limbo.
A couple of (male)friends of mine are holding out on a full fledged divorce for various reasons: some can't afford lawyers; some can't afford alimony, which would cost more than just giving the little woman a check every month. Some don't want to fight over the kids; and that's the big factor- right now most of them have a mutual agreement with their partners, that they spend half the day with their children, and the spouse sees them the other half.
The courts would make them pay more, but require they see their children less.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 2:59 am
by Scooter
If a couple have been able to come to a mutually agreeable 50/50 custody arrangement, no court is going to set that aside. In fact, it would be better to get it incorporated into a court order now that everyone is playing nice, rather than risk having an informal arrangement get torpedoed by one or the other of them down the road if they have some sort of disagreement.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:09 am
by Crackpot
Not really Scooter the FOC has to take their pound of flesh. Granted not all locales are that bad but it's a crap shoot.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:09 am
by BoSoxGal
I agree with Scooter on that point; if parties have an amicable parenting agreement, a court will merely incorporate that into a final judgment.
The situation loCA is describing sounds like many I've heard, where the parent who would have a support obligation due to a higher income is basically screwing the parent/kids who should be receiving support and would be receiving it, if a court had any involvement and the ability to enforce the uniform child support guidelines.
That is the primary reason I know of that married people who want to divorce but have children choose to avoid court.
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:30 pm
by rubato
Do you think we could reduce the scale of the problem by education? Part of a HS class devoted to how "marrying the wrong person can ruin your life especially if one of you gets knocked up"?
Just reducing the incidence would be a good thing.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Cut price divorces.
Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:46 pm
by loCAtek
I think we're trying that along the lines of sex education, unfortunately pregnancy all too often comes before any thought of marriage. If young folks would just use contraception, more than half of hasty marriages would not happen.