Nothing Says “Merry Christmas” Like A Divorce Voucher

These days you name it and you can find it in gift certificate form – spa treatments, movies, furniture…  But what do you think of the idea of a ‘Divorce Voucher’ as a Christmas gift?’

A few weeks ago, a law firm in England named Lloyd Platt and Company began offering such vouchers as gifts for the holiday season.  For 125 pounds, each voucher is good for one half-hour session of divorce advice with one of their lawyers, quite a savings since they normally charge 325 pounds/hr ($530/hr).  This means that husbands, wives, mistresses, friends, heck – even kids, can nudge the process along by sticking this paid-for service in a loved-one’s Christmas stocking.

Perhaps you might find the whole concept distasteful and degrading  - after all,  aren’t we stooping to new lows in the idea of divorce being a ‘present’?  Regardless, their firm claims to have already sold sixty vouchers, indicating there is definitely some kind of demand.  As senior partner Vanessa Lloyd Platt explains: “Christmas can be a very stressful time for families as we have always seen by the huge increase of people seeking advice in January. The vouchers seem to appeal to an enormously wide spread spectrum of people looking for that ‘must have’ gift for Christmas.”

A part of me agrees that upon first glance, such a voucher seems immoral as it promotes or even facilitates divorce.  Upon closer inspection, however, I see how it could be highly valuable to the receiver. For example, if a woman didn’t have the financial means to seek counsel or was inert in an unhappy marriage because of her fear or lack of knowledge of her rights.   I’m suddenly reminded of how a girlfriend of mine bought ME a session with a new lawyer during my divorce process; she was adamant I needed a second opinion.  If she’d delivered it in a voucher instead of paying over the phone by visa, I really don’t think I’d have cared; it was much need…and appreciated.