Among the New Year's resolutions made, it's likely that some have resolved to file for divorce this year. As always, the government is only too happy to help. Why? Any question about government starting with the word "why" can always be accurately answered with the same phrase: "Follow the money." From the government's perspective, the goal of divorce is not to legally separate the couple and let them move on with their lives in peace. The goal is always to generate the most consternation that will drive-up the fees of attorneys. (After all, it is the attorneys, and primarily women attorneys, who consider it "the greatest project... ever undertaken," who write the divorce laws purportedly to "provide a straightforward procedure for ending a marriage.") To hell with what's best for the children. To hell with human rights. To hell with equality. After wanting to divorce your spouse because you seek happiness and peace from a resentful, hostile, unfulfilled marriage, leave it to the government to increase the animosity.
Here's a proposal: in all divorces, regardless of fault, split 50/50 all remaining assets earned solely during the marriage as of the date the divorce is filed (i.e., any assets earned individually after the divorce is filed become the individual's sole property); unless a parent is criminally proven negligent or abusive to the children, split custody and parenting time 50/50; unless a written agreement exists to the contrary, all remaining assets owned by each before the marriage remain with the original owner; no money transfers from one party to another may be ordered by a court after the divorce is finalized except if one parent is criminally proven negligent or abusive to the children, and... here's the big one: all attorneys' fees generated during the divorce are not to be paid to the attorneys until the divorce is final, and the total attorneys' fees are to be shared equally (no matter which party spent more).
If such proposal was in place, what do you think would happen? Do you think the number of divorces would increase or decrease? Do you think the costs of divorce would increase or decrease? Do you think the divorce process would take longer or be shorter? Do you think more couples would work to improve their marriage knowing that there isn't any "financial benefit" or "gain by leaving their spouse," as this article puts it?
FTA:
An online divorce calculator has been set up by a government body to help people work out how much they would gain by leaving their spouse.
It uses information about income, outgoings, assets and children to establish the financial benefit to each party...
Users do not have to include their partner's financial details but are warned failure to do so means the calculator will 'not be able to compare your situations or consider how you might split all that you have'. Recommended information on income includes pay, benefits, pension details and bank interest.
Details on outgoings include mortgage payments, utility bills, credit card payments, life assurance premiums, children's pocket money and their hobbies.
Once all the details have been declared, the user can operate a sliding scale to see how much they would receive depending on the proportion of assets they demand...
Dr David Green, of the Civitas think-tank, said: 'It disregards the sanctity of marriage. To reduce it to monetary consequences, as if that is the predominant concern, is pretty deadly to any civilisation.
'If you draw up a list of things that are important when weighing up whether or not to get divorced, you wouldn't start with the financial consequences - you would start with your children.' Stephen Green, of the pressure group Christian Voice, said: 'I am worried that schemes like this reinforce the idea that divorce is just a natural progression from marriage.
DISCUSS!
Original posting by Braincrave Second Life staff on Jan 2, 2011 at http://www.braincrave.com/viewblog.php?id=421
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