The concepts of marriage and divorce in Hernando County remain the same; it may instead be the complications that couples experience that have changed. As technology essentially makes the world smaller, people are allowed to engage with each other socially in ways totally different than those witnessed 50, 25 or even 10 years ago. Should it come as a shock, then, that divorce proceedings have also been affected by technology. Where legal requirements used to slow proceedings down due to limited access to records, lack of electronic resources and even participant availability, new technologies may actually serve to facilitate cases being resolved more quickly.
One need look no further than a recent case involving a divorcing couple separated by continents to order to confirm this. The pair was originally from India, yet lived together for many years in Michigan. After separating, the husband returned to India and initiated divorce proceedings there. However, the wife was not able to secure a visa to return and participate in the proceedings. Despite the split being consensual and the couple having all necessary documentation prepared, the case remained at an impasse due to her not being able to confirm her desires in person.
Court officials presiding over the case then came up with a plan: have her participate via video conference. She was able to look in on the proceedings using a social media app, and the court was able to finalize the couple’s divorce.
While at this point in time, the use of technology to assist in divorce cases may likely be limited to a case-by-case basis. Yet even as new technologies are introduced into divorce proceedings, the effort and attention due to them will not change. One might ensure their efforts will not be in vain by working with an experienced family law attorney.