For most couples, what defines a "weekend getaway?" Is it walking hand in hand along the beach? Or a quick trip to a Georgia mountain resort? Neither scenario fits one particular trend, as couples are now linking the term "Divorce Hotel" with "weekend getaway."
While divorce occurs often in Georgia and across the country, it normally takes a significant amount of time to hash out the details. Between child support, visitation schedules and division of property, these family law matters can get lengthy. This is where the Divorce Hotel comes in.
Here's how it works: unhappy couples check into the Divorce Hotel on Friday. Available to these couples are lawyers and mediators who can help them work out the kinks of their divorce. Everything is separate; the spouses even stay in different hotel rooms throughout their stay. The hope is that, by Sunday, the couple will have the specifics of their divorce worked out.
As it is currently, these Divorce Hotels are only offered in the Netherlands. However, the founder plans to bring this trend to the United States.
In Georgia, a divorce cannot become final in just three days. Instead, the individual filing for divorce must wait at least 31 days after the divorce complaint. Generally, it takes at least an extra week or two beyond those 31 days to become final. Either way, a divorce in Georgia cannot be obtained in just one weekend. But agreements over other issues such as child custody, property division and child support can be worked out in a short amount of time.
This entire weekend divorce getaway, including the services from professionals, costs one lump sum. The fee in the Netherlands operations ranges from $3,500 to $10,000, depending how messy the divorce is, including whether children are involved.
To date, 17 couples have checked into these Divorce Hotels, and 16 of the 17 couples left with divorce papers in hand on Sunday.
Considering the high divorce rate in the United States today, this new concept may be attractive to Georgia couples considering a divorce. But such couples, whether entering the Divorce Hotel or going the traditional route, need to realize cooperation is the key.