Co-op offers quick fix for sour marriages: a £99 divorce

THE CO-OPERATIVE Group of supermarkets and financial service providers in the UK is to start offering do-it-yourself divorces for just £99 (R1 320).

Shoppers will be able to start quickie divorce proceedings while they pick up milk or a bunch of bananas. Those soon to get married will be offered the chance to sign up for a pre-nuptial agreement, for a more pricey £950.

The new Co-op family law service will be available through all its 2 800 local supermarkets and 350 bank branches. It is aimed at hard-pressed families who cannot afford the astronomical fees of up to £250 an hour charged by some specialist divorce lawyers.

But campaigners said such quick-fix splits risked making family break-ups too easy.

Paul Coleridge, founder and chairman of the Marriage Foundation, said: “Online and DIY divorces may make the legal paperwork quicker, but the breakdown of the relationship and its consequences are long-lasting.

“We want to see access to relationship support and education made even easier than online divorce. Where possible, we believe people should mend it, not end it.”

There are eight kinds of divorces on offer, from £99 to £475 for a fully-managed split.

The DIY service should appeal to warring couples hit by the recession who can not qualify for financial help from the government, which is planning to slash £350 million from the legal aid bill. – Daily Mail