If you’ve ever seen a zoom meeting, the first thing you probably thought of was the Brady Bunch. Well, zoom is now splitting up the family.
Zoom has entered the divorce court, and affected parties seem to be okay with that.
As courtrooms have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic couples seeking a dissolution of their marriages have had to put animosities on hold, until zoom entered the picture.
It has advantages. You can get a divorce and never leave the living room. No parking, no waiting. You don’t have to sit in a room with your soon-to-be ex’s new paramour. Downside: everyone can see your snarl and lip curve when angered.
Texas Family Law attorney Jennifer Hargrave says there’s an upside as well. “I’ll tell you one of the great benefits is the ability to bring in witnesses who were otherwise not readily available,” she says.Expert witnesses come with a fee, a heft one often, but they’re willing to reduce their rates if they can testify virtually. Hargrave says that opens up possibilities that previously may not have been considered.
She says she’s seen a number of ways the pandemic has impacted divorce cases, including child custody issues. “People were calling my firm asking, ‘Are we supposed to exchange the kids?’ And fortunately the courts in Texas made it very clear that yes, you are supposed to exchange the kids, but not everybody got that message.”
The applications of zoom in the courtroom extend far beyond divorces, but it’s likely to stay around when the virus has been conquered.