Who would have imagined years ago that in 2020 you would be able get divorced from your living room sofa? It is as if it were predicted in the movie “Back to the Future,” like video phones or hoverboards (sort of).
However, this change allowing people to get divorced from their own homes is not the result of some creative Hollywood writer, but because the COVID-19 pandemic occurred during a time when the technology was ripe to go virtual.
The pandemic has caused hardships to many individuals and business. It has forced people to work and do business differently, including our court systems. While the pandemic has been strenuous on our court systems, causing a re-shuffling and backlog of cases, it has also forced our legal system into the digital age.
Our Court system had to quickly adapt to working remotely. Hearings and trials that were almost exclusively in person were converted in a short period of time to occurring virtually over Zoom and WebEx. While no system is perfect and glitches need to be worked out, it is now possible for a person to decide to divorce, find and retain a lawyer and go through their entire divorce process, even if it consists of a full trial, in their own home.
Many hearings are happening quicker and more efficiently. Pre-pandemic it was customary for Courts to schedule multiple hearings at the same time, so when scheduled to be in Court, a client is paying their lawyer to travel, and while in Court there is often significant time spent waiting for your case to be heard. All of this has significantly been reduced when cases are heard virtually, which can be a big financial savings for clients.
While the ability to take care of everything without going anywhere is logistically easier and may have a financial savings, it is important to keep in mind that it does not necessarily make divorce easier emotionally.
For many, divorcing during the pandemic is more difficult. The lack of a personal connection and human touch with their lawyers may be stressful. Moreover, the inability to be surrounded by an in-person emotional support network of family and friends except through virtual and social distancing interactions may be harder not just on those going through divorce, but also on their children.
At Lerch Early, we are highly cognizant of the emotional and financial stresses of divorce on our clients and keep that in mind as we guide them through their divorces.