The pandemic has complicated everything, including divorce

The coronavirus pandemic has changed so much of California life. It has altered work lives, schooling, shopping, social interactions and so much more. By forcing people to stay cooped up in their homes for month after month, the pandemic has made many marriages more stressful, and at the same time, it has complicated divorce as well.

While the pandemic has likely widened cracks in some marriages, it has also frozen some unhappy couples in place because people are unwilling to initiate a divorce while their spouse is laid off or is earning less.

Courtroom changes

The pandemic has also changed the way people appear before Orange County’s Superior Court, too (currently open only for limited in-person services). Courtroom delays are also more likely these days because a judge, lawyer or spouse has been exposed to coronavirus or has contracted Covid-19.

And the pandemic has complicated the ways in which people meet with family law attorneys, therapists, real estate agents, etc.

Once routine aspects of divorce, such as getting documents notarized, can now require advance planning, phone calls, appointments and more.

More difficult to move

More pandemic-related complications can be found in home sales, too, a news source reported. Real estate prices are trending down in some parts of the nation, which can make sales and property division more problematic, while rising in other areas, which can make it more difficult for one spouse to buy the other out.

The multiple convolutions and complications the pandemic has forced on people seeking a divorce has also made many people more inclined to negotiate divorce agreements that resolve issues such as child custody and support, property division, spousal support and more. In the past, they might have opted to settle their disputes in court, but now recognize that they can, with the help of their lawyer, reach fair divorce terms in negotiations.