Christmas splits are on the rise (From Swindon Advertiser)

Big jump in visits to DIY divorce website , Divorce Online

6:00pm Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News By Josh Layton

A SWINDON company carrying out cheap online divorces has registered the biggest rise in demand for its services during the festive period since launching 13 years ago.

Visits to the Divorce Online website on Wednesday had risen by 20 per cent compared to last year, with two people even making purchases on Christmas Day in order to formalise their splits.

The cheapest service is available for as little as £27 for Scottish couples who can take advantage of a simplified ‘DIY’ procedure, while the cheapest package for English and Welsh couples is £69.

Owner Mark Keenan, a certified paralegal, said: “We have had the busiest Christmas and New Year in 13 years.

“We weren’t even in the office when two people made purchases on Christmas Day, which is a first, and returned to find traffic to the website was up by 20 per cent.

“We also had three purchases on New Year’s Eve, which we have not had for the previous three years.”

Though January is always a busy time for divorce lawyers, the upsurge in demand fits research showing separation rates climb when an economy lifts out of recession.

Mr Keenan said: “This year we are coming out of a recession and people who have been staying together for the sake of their families or waiting to see if they get made redundant have the finances to go through the procedure.

“Research by an American university going back to the Great Depression shows divorce goes down in a recession and up in a boom.

“It seems as if it would be the other way round and people would stay together in a recovery.”

The company, based in Alexander House on Fleming Way, has also responded to accusations that it is exploiting couples by saying that it saves huge legal bills.

“We help people who don’t want to spend stupid amounts of money on lawyers to go through the divorce procedure,” Mr Keenan said.

“We don’t give legal advice, we deal with the practical part for people who have already decided to separate a year or two years before and simply want to complete the paperwork.”

Divorce Online says it can carry out the £27 separation within six weeks for uncontested divorces between Scottish couples with no children under 16.

A more expensive, non-simplified package costs £195 for couples with children under 16 and can take up to 10 weeks.