Fast-track divorce via Web has arrived

You and your loathed one want to part, but are agonizing - not over the gerbil, but the lawyers' fees? This may be for you: The law office of Zelinger, Bechor-Bouni, which specializes in family law, offers couples who want to divorce with mutual, well, dignity, an online service. All the two need is to enter the law office's website, fill out the appropriate form: "Divorce Agreement - Fast Track" (Hebrew) and click on Send.

The law offices belong to Michal Zelinger and Amy Bechor-Bouni, and the form can be found via www.zelinger-becour.co.il (yes, that's not a typo). The form lists dozens of personal questions about the couple and their minor children, technicalities such as location and date of marriage, and things such as agreed-on alimony and special costs. The couple also has to fill out details on child custody, agreed-on visitations and so on.

Nor does the form neglect common property: home, cars, bank accounts, money, liabilities and debts. In short, it's a draft for the usual divorce agreement. The main thing the couple saves is the cost of consulting lawyers.

Bechor-Bouni, author of the initiative, says that a divorce agreement usually runs to NIS 4,000 plus VAT, not including preliminary meetings, which can cost around $2,000 each.

With the questionnaire in hand the office formulates a divorce agreement and emails it to the couple. If they approve it, they submit it to Family Court for ratification under law. Not once have they crossed the threshold of Zelinger, Bechor-Bouni. The court asks the couple if they understand the agreement and signed it of their own free will. But other family lawyers warn that "inter-gets" could wind up badly hurting (at least one) of the parties financially, if they didn't fully grasp what they were doing.