The COVID Divorce

There comes a moment in many relationships where the partnership is no longer viable, and where separation — or, for married couples, divorce — is the unavoidable next step.
And while divorcing or going separate ways is rarely easy, couples dissolving their households during Covid-19 are facing new woes. The jury is still out regarding spiking divorce numbers as a result of the pandemic. But without a doubt, for many people, relationships — not to mention sex — have become more complicated in 2020. For marriages and relationships involving the usual strife, the stress of job losses, shared housing, co-parenting and health insurance worries have been exacerbated by the pandemic. That has couples weighing when (not to mention if) it’s the right time to bow out. For many couples — married or not — the time is now. And believe it or not, its not more complicated.
Thanks to technology, some divorces may be happening faster, thanks to Zoom and LA Court Connect, the Court’s virtual appearance hub. Zoom settlement conferences are settling cases at an enormous clip, and saving clients a ton of money in the process. Yes, Divorce proceedings have changed since the pandemic began. There seems to be the perception the courts are closed or people don’t have access to the courts right now, but that’s totally false. The courts are 100% open.
LA CourtConnect has been slow to roll out but is reaching optimal performance. What used to be a five-minute hearing that you’d spend an hour in court waiting for has been eliminated by these LA CourtConnect proceedings. Hearings that usually cost a client $1000 are costing $200 thanks to LACourtConnect.
But that hardly means the emotional toll of getting divorced right now isn’t taking a toll, especially when it comes to formulating parenting plans, with so many uncertainties still surrounding the Coronavirus and schooling options. Parents are fighting over custody more than ever. In person school or virtual or both is a hot button topic that divides many households. The pandemic has people teetering on the edge more than ever due to both the overall stress of the pandemic. As a result, for some people, marriage has gotten more fragile because they’re under so much stress.
For more information on how to successfully and efficiently complete your divorce during a pandemic, call Denise Lite, Certified Family Law Specialist at 877-317-8080 to make a consultation appointment.