The economic recovery is very beneficial to divorce lawyers, according to ABC news. The end of the recession has been the impetus for couples to finalized divorce settlements that they may have been putting off.
John Slowiaczek told ABC news, “It’s been driven primarily by finances.” Slowiaczek is the vice president of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and stated that his firm, Liben, Whitted, Houghton, Slowiaczek and Cavanagh saw a 25 percent increase in filings, in the first few months of 2011, over last year.
In 2009, divorce attorneys in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers saw a decrease on their filings. However, they are finding that more people are comfortable filing for divorce in the midst of the recovery, despite the fact that in a downturn the settlements would have been less and some couples regret waiting. Protecting a person’s assets can be difficult in a shaky economy, the lawyers must be careful with the proceeding so the market changes don’t come back to haunt their clients.
Lewis Kapner, a divorce lawyer from West Palm Beach stated he has “definitely seen an increase in divorce filings and business”, but is unable to explain why there has been such an increase.
Couples, who are struggling financially, seem more willing to wait for the recession to end before they decide to divorce. It appears as though it is easier to deal with a contentious marriage instead of the financial troubles they face.
