The COVID-19 pandemic has had some significant impacts on everyday life for millions of Americans. The divorce process has certainly not been immune to this—there are some complications that divorcing couples have had to weather over the last year that have been unique to a pandemic-stricken America.
Here are just a few examples of some of the complications that have been affecting the divorce process during the pandemic.
- Court closures: While most courts are open back up now, there are still many delays happening due to courts operating with skeleton crews or limiting operations to only “essential” services. This can result in some delays that might not typically exist in divorce cases.
- Lack of in-person meetings: Divorcing couples have had to rely on more virtual meetings with attorneys, and virtual hearings for mediation or court processes. This can be difficult to navigate for people who are not particularly tech savvy, and has given attorneys and court officials one more task to take on when working with couples.
- Employment benefits: Compensation committees with corporations have been adding incentive compensation plans to help make up for smaller bonuses or losses in revenue. This adds one more form of compensation that needs to be accounted for during a divorce case. Because it’s so new and unusual, it could be easy to “forget.”
These are just a few examples of some of the complications that have arisen for divorce processes during the pandemic. For more information about the steps courts and attorneys are taking to make matters easier on divorcing couples during the pandemic, contact an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
