Divorce boom? Lawyers prepare for flood of separations from quarantined couples

Coronavirus is making couples sick — of each other.

Divorce lawyers across the country say they’ve noticed an uptick in calls from people ready to call it quits with their spouses after being quarantined together during lockdown.

“They’re getting a preview of what retirement may look like, and unfortunately for a lot of folks they’re finding they don’t really like it,” Jason Hopper, a divorce attorney in California, told KFMB.

In April, his office averaged 500 new consultations a week for three consecutive weeks, according to the outlet.

Hopper practices in the San Diego area and says most courts are only allowing emergency filings due to coronavirus restrictions, KFMB reported. In the meantime, he says couples are readying paperwork to file when courts reopen.

Adam Vanho, a lawyer in Ohio, echoed Hopper’s comments, telling WKYC that he and his colleagues have received a number of calls from people chomping at the bit to get the ball rolling.

“People are starting to talk to attorneys already, saying, ‘I want to file when this is all over,’” he told the outlet.

Paul Talbert, a lawyer in New York, says he has a client who has called multiple times asking when he can start divorce proceedings, the New York Post reported. Lawyer Suzanne Kimberly Bracker said she’s even received calls after hours.

“In the middle of the night I got a call from a client who now realizes she has nothing in common with her husband but the children — and how he knows nothing about the children,” she told the Post.

Coronavirus divorce spikes abroad

While we don’t yet know how many of these calls will turn into actual filings, a surge in divorces post-pandemic isn’t unprecedented.

In March, China saw a spike in separations as government-mandated lockdowns were lifted, Bloomberg reported.

The cities of Xian and Dazhou both saw divorce filings reach record highs, causing backlogs at government facilities, according to the outlet.

Staff members at one office in Miluo “didn’t even have time to drink water” because so many couples showed up to file, Bloomberg reported.

“Trivial matters in life led to the escalation of conflicts, and poor communication has caused everyone to be disappointed in marriage and make the decision to divorce,” Yi Xiaoyan, director of the city’s registration office, said, according to the outlet.

Stress levels run high?

Stateside, it’s a similar story.

Job loss is putting stress on couples and taking a toll on communication, counselor Hillary Schultz told WKYC. She recommends that quarantining couples give each other time to be alone while also making time for cooking, gardening or other fun activities together.

Schultz also warns against making major life changes during such uncertain times, cautioning people to triple check their decisions amid the pandemic, according to the outlet.

“What might feel good for the moment may not be good long term,” she said, according to WKYC.

Perhaps less common, differences over health and safety precautions have strained some couples.

Steven J. Mandel, a lawyer in New York, says one of his clients is ready to pull the plug on her already tumultuous marriage because her husband doesn’t believe the pandemic is a very big deal, the Post reported. She fears how his outlook could affect their child.

“When the child is with him, he’s not using any of the precautions… But there are no court orders [right now], so it’s the Wild West,” Mandel said, according to the outlet.

Advice for those planning to file

Since coronavirus restrictions have stalled the ability to file, Hopper says he expects a backlog of cases after restrictions lift, KFMB reported. He suggests that people planning to file “get ahead of the tidal wave of litigation.”

He added that the economic downturn has caused wealthy clients who were previously unsure about divorce to move forward with their plans.

“For a lot of cases, the date of separation or date of filing is what’s going to control the ultimate property division,” Hopper told the outlet. “So it may lead to a lower settlement.”

Similarly, New York lawyer William Beslow recommended that people file as soon as restrictions lift because asset values are “basically set in stone” on the day papers are filed, the Post reported.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Divorce boom? Lawyers prepare for flood of separations from quarantined couples."