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Divorce Hotels – Coming to the UK?

July 2, 2012

Dutch entrepreneur, Jim Halfens has introduced the concept of a Divorce Hotel and now wishes to bring the idea to the UK.

His hotel chain arranges for couples wishing to part company to spend a weekend together (in separate bedrooms) at a luxury hotel and with the help of mediators and lawyers, to check out 3 days later with the necessary paperwork to institute proceedings and an agreement in place dealing with the division of the financial assets.

Will it work?

For the vast majority of couples, divorce is seen as the last resort and one of the most difficult decisions of a lifetime. It takes considerably more than a 3 day period to go through the details of a complex divorce, especially one which involves significant capital assets, business interests and pension assets. There are also a considerable number of cases involving issues relating to children, which cannot hope to be resolved in such a short space of time.

A ‘one size fits all’ approach is in my view unlikely to work with most separating couples.  Alternatives are already available in the UK to avoid protracted correspondence between solicitors and significant legal costs, such is mediation or collaborative law.

If you need some initial advice, without any obligation, please contact Liz Hebden, 01756 700200 or email eah@walkerfoster.com

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