Thank God for the weak economy!

Couples Find It's Too Costly To Divorce

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Husband and wife make a vow for better or worse.
But when money is tight more marriages often end in divorce.
That's not the case this year.
Tough economic times are forcing couples to stay together.
Getting a divorce is expensive. Take the court costs and lawyer fees and divide all of the couple's assets.
And many couples don't have the money.
"You know those family issues of money, jobs, the stresses those are the things that really impact people on a daily basis," said Dr. Charles Ihrig, a licensed psychologist.
Ihrig said more couples are enrolled in counseling in an attempt to save their marriage. Ihrig said tough economic times are a factor.
"Honestly money is usually one of the easiest things for couples to fight over," Ihrig said.
"Yeah, typically when there is a bad economy the number of divorces increases," said Rob Turner, a Nashville attorney.
Turner said this recession is unlike anything he's seen.
"But this particular economic collapse has affected us even worse because what you're finding is people don't have the money to get divorced," he said.
He said he's seen about a 30 percent drop in the number of clients seeking a divorce.
In Davidson County, the number of people filing for divorce has also decreased. About 2,300 people filed for divorce between January and November 2007. During the same period this year, 2,173 filed or a 7 percent drop.
Turner's even offered his clients payment plans. But sometimes it's not enough.
"So it's really bad in this economy," he said.
Forcing a fighting couple to stick out will likely be a bitter split.
Turner said executing a divorce has also become more difficult because of the economy. If a couple owns a home, they're having a harder time selling the home. In some cases, a person can't sell the home and divide the funds. As a result, he or she can be found in contempt of court.
Local counseling services are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of patients seeking help for marriage issues, depression, and job loss. They said the weak economy is a main reason for the increase.


Here is one reason to be thankful for a weak economy. Story taken from www.newschannel5.com