Our PA divorce lawyers frequently discuss the important role of technology in the divorce process, particularly social media and evidence. Usually, this is for its role as a truth-finder, proving that one person was not where they said they would be, or that they are pleading poverty yet just purchased a new convertible. It can also be used as evidence of adultery, with text messages indicating secret meetings and pictures showing expenditures for the secret paramour.
In Saudi Arabia recently, technology came to play in a very unique way in the divorce process. A man, using the WhatApp texting tool on his phone, sent his wife a series of text messages saying “I divorce you.” The wife took the messages to a family court judge, who declared that the parties, who had been married for only 10 months, were legally divorced. For his part, the man claimed that the messages had been sent accidentally. In another case, a Saudi man divorced his wife for refusing to delete her twitter account. In Saudi Arabia, all that is required for a divorce to be issued is for the man to say three times that he and his wife are divorced. The divorce is effective immediately, and does not require a reason.
In Pennsylvania, divorce is a more formalized process than in Saudi Arabia. It requires the filing of a divorce complaint, and a waiting period of a minimum of 90 days. A divorce will take longer if one of the parties does not consent to the divorce, or if there are outstanding property division and support issues. It may also be in your best interest to wait to file for a divorce.
There are several grounds for divorce, some of them fault-based, and some no fault. No fault divorce is the predominant method, because it is both quicker and cheaper than a fault-based divorce, which requires an evidentiary hearing to prove the fault-based ground for divorce. The grounds for divorce are desertion, adultery, extreme cruelty, bigamy, imprisonment for at least 2 years, intolerable indignities, and insanity. Threatening divorce, however, does not qualify.
If you are considering filing for divorce, you should contact a PA divorce lawyer to come up with a strategy for proceeding. Our team of experienced divorce lawyers have the knowledge to come up with a plan that works for you. Contact us today!