As a child of divorce, I know a lot about the painful rite of passage. In the worst cases, there are long, drawn out custody battles, messy financial settlements, division of property — and that's not even touching on the emotional toll. However, for those who are ready to split up ASAP, the UK is now offering same day divorces for couples who want out, now.
According to The Daily Mail, these "over-the-counter" divorces will be performed by administrators, not judges, and can be completed the same day or within 48 hours. It's just as easy as signing up for TV service, say officials, and compared with the usual 33 week waiting period, it's lightning fast.
Critics of the law suggest that it might encourage couples to call it quits because the process is so simple, but only time will tell if the divorce rate will increase exponentially as a result. In my opinion, anything that lets people move on faster is a good thing, and hey, if you decide you want to eventually marry your ex again, you can always pull a Jean-Claude Van Damme and do just that.
So while things might be easy in the United Kingdom, for those of us on the other side of the pond, it is still a long, complex ordeal to untie the knot. Here are three facts to know about splitting up in the States:
1. The Time A Divorce Takes Differs From State To State
A contested divorce is a whole different story, but if you have an uncontested divorce where both parties are on the same page, the processing time varies depending where you live. For example, it takes about 4-12 weeks to get a divorce in New York, but in Oregon, it takes about 240 days.
2. California Is The First State To Institute The Concept Of A "No Fault" Divorce
In most states, you have to cite a reason for divorce, like, say "irreconcilable differences" or "adultery." In California, you don't need to provide a reason to get divorced besides a mutual desire.
3. Divorce Is Really Expensive
According to experts on the matter (aka divorce lawyers), the average American divorce costs around $15,000. As a comparison, Time cites $31,213 as the cost of the average American wedding, so you're basically out a lot of money for the start of your union to the finish.
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