Divorce and Covid

Covid is making divorce a more complex and potentially slower process, while making it more difficult for Courts to provide adequate attention to your case. Does this mean you shouldn’t pursue a divorce right now? No. But it does mean that you need to consider a different method to obtain your divorce.

The Covid Pandemic is affecting divorce in important ways.  Covid has increased concerns about our financial futures, making the division of assets a more stressful, difficult task. It has changed how parents are thinking about parenting time, given the need for many children to be home for school. Covid has also changed the divorce process. Due to the current virus outbreak, all Michigan courts are expressly limiting the use of court time to “essential proceedings,” such as criminal matters. Those who simply hire a divorce attorney and file for divorce in court may have a longer wait to get hearings or a trial date. When our Courts do open there is going to be a substantial backlog of cases waiting for the Court’s attention.  Given that our courts were already squeezed for resources before Covid, it will be a challenge for them to return to normal operations.

Collaborative practice and mediation offer people two methods of obtaining a divorce that avoid the courthouse and provide you with the full attention your divorce deserves.  All proceedings can be conducted via video or phone right from your own home and are generally less expensive methods to achieve a divorce.

Faster, better, safer, and less expensive.  That’s why collaborative practice and mediation are best suited to help you in a Post-Covid divorce.