Dr. Drew is now sharing his thoughts on the divorce industry. While some people try to pigeon-hole Dr. Drew as someone who only focuses on celebrities in rehab, he actually does work within quite a few ares of medicine and society in general.
When it comes to Divorce I am not 100% clear where his expertise comes from. What I can say is based on what I’ve seen and heard, some of what he is saying is very correct.
In California divorce is a huge industry. It employes a lot of people and generates or costs (depending on where you are sitting) a lot of money. Some people blame this on the legal machine we have in place today. Others blame it on the attorneys. While both those things certainly can be culprits, a lot of the problems with the divorce industry stems from the people getting divorced. I am by no means trying to put those people down. Just trying to shed some light on where some of the issues are coming from.
When people get divorced they have choices. They can do it amicably, or they can go into it like a boxing match. The approach they chose makes a huge difference in the process they need to go through. That in turn impacts how long it takes, and how much they are going to spend. In simple terms… when couples are in agreement on the divorce terms it can go much faster and cheaper. When there is nothing to fight over it’s a much easier proposition. So back in 2008 divorces were going quickly. Each side looked at the other and said “I don’t have any money. The house is under-water. So let’s just split whatever we have and walk away.” Now that the housing market is back, and stocks are up again, people are fighting again. All the fighting requires paper-work, court filings, testimony, court dates, expert witnesses, etc which all add up to the ugly divorces we hear about in the news. Then when people change their minds about spousal support, child custody, and even vacation homes it starts things all over again.
If people could sit down and agree to what they want, what’s reasonable, and stick to it, the Divorce Industry might be half the machine it is today. I would always though recommend hiring an attorney, even if all the key items are clear and ironed out. You will still want to work with someone who knows how to navigate the legal system. Otherwise this may turn into a part-time job for you and your ex-spouse. They key though is telling your attorney your plan, and what you expect from them. Say that the break-up will be friendly, and there help is really needed with the paper-work side of things.
Finding the right divorce attorney in Los Angeles, or anywhere in California can be tricky. There are a lot to choose from, and the level of service can vary widely. Our advice is seek out some kind of referral network you have. And listen to what your friends and family tell you about making the divorce as simple as possible. At the time sending 3 years and every penny you have may feel right if you are fighting for something. But
Is Divorce the Right Focus?
While I appreciate Dr. Drew going after divorce, I want to ask if this is the right place to focus. According to the Dr. Drew web-site the Divorce Industry is $50 Billion a year. That is a big number. By comparison however, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid the US Healthcare market is $2.8 Trillion. That my friends is a GIGANTIC number. So while divorce is very important, and much more complex & expensive then it needs to be, maybe we should continue focusing our energies on fixing systems that would have the most impact. If you want to fix a system I might suggest Medicare, Medicaid, and preventative healthcare. That would save more money nationwide than divorces.
One could contend that divorce contributes to the high cost of healthcare. People going through divorce can get stressed, depressed, and require metal health services. Side note: amazing how taboo some of this was just a few decades ago before people realized that getting professional help was…. helpful. And yes divorce probably does contribute to some healthcare costs, but my guess is it’s a small piece of the overall pie.
With all that being said, I am very glad someone is bringing up these issues to a larger audience and truly hope to see it have a meaningful impact. To any large audience my advice would be try as hard as you can to put your emotions aside and focus on getting through your divorce as simply as you can. Hire an attorney, and tell them what your goals are, and stick to them.
Statistic / Quote from DrDrew.com. “More money flows through the family courts, and into the hands of courthouse insiders, than in all other court systems in America combined – over $50 billion a year and growing.” Taken 3/10/2014.
Family Law Court 