WACKY IDEAS
DivorceHotel – Where marriage can end in a weekend
The Dutch-founded DivorceHotel is aims to help you separate in what it describes as ‘ divorcing in a positive way ’. It can help you to do so ‘ quickly , skillfully and affordably ’, in a way that suits you best . SHEKINA TUAHENE sat down with the founder of the unique business to find out more about the concept
In the UK , divorces are currently granted on five particular grounds : adultery ; unreasonable behaviour ; desertion ; you have lived apart for more than two years or you have lived apart for at least five years . While these circumstances work for many divorce proceedings , it doesn ’ t cover those in situations which are less extreme . For those who fall out of love with their partners or decide that they simply do not get on anymore , getting a divorce can be a complicated matter in an environment where blame and fault are usually encouraged .
Just in March this year , the story of Tini Owens , 66 , circulated in the press when she described herself as being “ trapped in a loveless marriage ”. Judges refused to allow her to divorce her husband of 40 years over “ unreasonable behaviour ” after her husband , 77-year-old Hugh , told the courts that he did not want a divorce because he believed the couple had a “ few years ” left to enjoy together .
This ruling led to a calling for parliament to introduce “ no fault ” divorce proceedings , thus allowing people to end marriages without having to prove substantial wrongdoing .
While that change is yet to happen , it is no surprise that a Dutch notion called the DivorceHotel has recently been introduced in the UK . After coming across the process which has been in the Netherlands for five years , family mediator David Leckie decided to bring the DivorceHotel to the UK in March to revolutionise the way the termination of marriage is handled in this country .
CLAIRE THORNTON , SENIOR LAWYER AND DAVID LECKIE
“ A friend of mine used divorce hotel a few years ago in the Netherlands - this is how I became aware of it ,” he says . “ I thought to myself this is an exciting concept that we could benefit from in the UK so I [ approached ] the headquarters and they asked me to launch it in the UK .”
On how the idea of the DivorceHotel was conceived in the first place , Leckie explains that the chief executive of the company , Jim Halfens , had a friend who was going through a “ very , very messy divorce ” which led him to think that there had to be a better way . Describing the usual process as “ aggressive and antagonistic ” he came up with an idea where people could divorce in a relaxed environment , without the input and pressures of people outside the marriage .
In the UK , DivorceHotel takes place at a Yorkshire-based establishment the location of which is known only to those using its services . Discretion is key at the DivorceHotel as only one couple is dealt with at a time without the other guests knowing . “ The hotel we ’ re using is an ordinary hotel ; it ’ s a nice hotel . We just paired up with a hotel chain who were prepared to accommodate us . Interestingly - they do weddings .”
Overseeing the procedure with his colleague , senior lawyer Claire Thornton , Leckie handles the relationship side of things and deals with the broader family issues , while she tends to the financial settlements .
Identifying the suitability of each couple before the proceedings officially begin , Leckie and Thornton do an in depth pre-assessment of the couples , setting up Skype interviews and compiling the valuations of their assets such as pensions and family homes before they decide how to approach their unique dealings . “ Those are the two biggest things which we need confirmation beforehand because then we can sit down together with the couple and they come to their own conclusion about how they want to split those things .” The couple is then invited to the hotel for a weekend , where the whole process begins .
The couple arrives at the hotel on a Friday evening , where they are formally introduced to Leckie and Thornton and shown to their separate rooms . If there are children , they are taken to stay with relatives during this time . The ‘ divorce ’ officially begins on Saturday morning at 10am , where initial proceedings take place for two hours before a lunch break . Things then continue for the rest of the day
32 www . hotelowner . co . uk July 2017