Technology can do a great many amazing things. You can “face time” with a friend across town or in Europe or Asia. You can watch movies and television on your phone anywhere with a cell connection. You can post to your Facebook page and receive nearly instantaneous replies from people all over the world.
You can even use an app to obtain a divorce. The larger question you should ask is whether that is a good idea. There may be couples who might have such simple and straightforward facts for their divorce that using an app to end their marriage could be viable. But those couples may be in the minority here in St. Louis.
If you have no assets, own nothing and have no children, an uncontested divorce via an app potentially could work. On the other hand, if you have even a modest level of assets, own a vehicle or two have joint bank accounts or have children, you should carefully consider before you execute any agreement without legal representation using an app.
Children will greatly complicate any divorce and as far as your finances go, any settlement you agree to is likely to be binding and irrevocable. This means if you made a mistake, and later go to an attorney to “fix” the problem, you will probably be told that a court will not consider your issue, as it is part of the property division, and those mistakes typically cannot be undone.
While saving money is always a good idea, the long-term ramifications of a botched do-it-yourself divorce will far outweigh any savings in terms of expense and grief.
Source: cnbc.com, “Up next: Swipe right for a divorce,” Jessica Dickler, March 6, 2016
