[Cliff]

Divorce has become easier to obtain in Queensland thanks to online filing:

"More than 400 Australian couples have applied for divorce with the click of a mouse since e-divorce was introduced two months ago.

E-filing gives web access to cases before the Family Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia – but while it makes paperwork easier, especially for those who don't want to engage a solicitor, government officials are quick to add that the e-filing system isn't encouraging divorce.

Family Law Courts chief executive officer Richard Foster said the aim was to improve access to justice, particularly for self-represented litigants who comprised 85 per cent of divorce applicants."

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26381547-3102,00.html

[Housewife]

It will be interesting to see, say in a years time, whether there was an increase in applications caused by the e filing system.

[scotty]

With all the postal strikes that have been going on recently in the UK, at least with e filing you would know that the papers have been served. I can't see it making any difference in the number of divorces.

[Cliff]

It will be interesting to see, say in a years time, whether there was an increase in applications caused by the e filing system.

Divorce rate is already high in Brisbane:
"Brisbane is the nation's divorce capital, with more than 190 marriages dissolved every week in the city's Federal Magistrates Court. The busiest divorce court in the country processed almost 10,000 divorce applications last financial year, figures reveal."

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26685660-3102,00.html

[Martha]

Have you heard the old joke about women need to get married and men need to get divorced to have a happy life. Makes sense that rates are high really coming from this perspective. I think it's justice served at it's best when the expensive middle man is cut out. It will make life a lot easier for those that still have to deal with the emotional blow and consequences of starting again without their partner.

[PhillipaW]

I think the "middle man" should stay there. It will give people more time to think things over before they just clicking away.
I'm not sure I like the idea of this "e-divorce".

[Martha]

Hi Phillipa,

I appreciate your opinion as it differs to mine, but I don't see the added expense as a benefit of marriage counselling. It just puts pressure on the whole scenario and all the counselling should be done way before a divorce is chosen as the way out, wether it's e-divorce or more formal. Some marriages take too long to end, in my opinion.

[PhillipaW]

Hi Phillipa,

I appreciate your opinion as it differs to mine, but I don't see the added expense as a benefit of marriage counselling. It just puts pressure on the whole scenario and all the counselling should be done way before a divorce is chosen as the way out, wether it's e-divorce or more formal. Some marriages take too long to end, in my opinion.

Thanks Martha,

I think I just don't like marriages ending period.
I don't know, this is a very complicated subject I think.

[Gabriella8]

It's sad to learn that getting a divorce is easy nowadays. In my opinion, there should be a long journey (like attending seminars or perhaps workshop for engaged couples) in applying for Marriage so couples can see that marriage is not a joke. And as Philllipa mentioned, this is a complicated issue :)

[scotty]

This was an interesting article in the UK Daily Mail that highlights the facts around children and marriage:

Harry Benson, of the Bristol Community Family Trust, said 'In a new analysis using census data, I found that 60 per cent of families remain intact until their children are 15. Of these, 97 per cent are married.' The study used census information to show that one in three unmarried couples with children separate before their child's fifth birthday, four times the rate of married parents.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1244699/Only-3-couples-stay-child-16-unmarried-study-reveals.html