Covid-19 Pandemic Has, As Predicted, Increased The Demand For Divorce

CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey of 257 prominent family lawyers across the country confirms  predictions that the restrictions of life during the pandemic and the closing of family law courts last year increased pent-up demand for divorce. That pent-up demand is now being expressed in an increased number of cases for family lawyers. The survey was conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a group of 1600 Fellows who are family lawyers located in every one of the 50 states.

"The responses to the survey suggest that, as expected, cases are up," comments Elizabeth Lindsey, a family lawyer practicing in Atlanta and currently president of the AAML. "Many of our Fellows are also reporting that clients are stressed out by the pandemic and all its effects and are having difficulties arriving at reasonable settlements."

Sixty-three percent of the lawyers who responded to the survey said that the pandemic had caused an increase in the number of their cases or clients. Forty-five percent of those who answered the questions indicated that they believed the main reason for the upswing in their case numbers was their clients' enforced isolation with a spouse during the pandemic.

Forty-nine percent of the respondents said they were also experiencing increased litigation over custody issues. Seventy percent of the lawyers' comments relating to shared-custody problems involved pandemic-related issues: conflicts over masks, social distancing, and vaccinations for children, and disagreements about in-class versus virtual learning.

Perhaps the most interesting responses occurred in answer to a survey question about what issues lawyers were seeing that they had never seen before. Many of these responses referenced how unreasonable and impatient clients were, not even willing to wait 24 hours for a response from the lawyer, not taking the lawyer's advice, and refusing to bend at all in negotiations.

One of the reasons for all of this tension was stated clearly by a respondent: "People's employment status is changing." The lives of many have been turned upside down by lost or radically changed employment. Also, as the pandemic has been prolonged beyond the hoped-for end point, everyone's patience is wearing thin.

Among all the expected issues, one lawyer struck a different, somewhat startling  note. "Our first cryptocurrency cases are starting to arrive," she said.

SOURCE American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers