Divorce Hotels: A New Reality?

[Sample Hotel photo from hotelsinnorthcyprus.com]

Are you a fan of reality shows?  Well, if Dutch entrepreneur Jim Halfens has his way, you may soon be able to watch a new reality show called the "Divorce Hotel!"  Halfens' proposed reality show about divorce is based upon his actual "divorce hotels," which are presently located throughout The Netherlands.

The premise is fairly simple:  Couples check in (separately) to the lavish "divorce hotel" on a friday and then leave divorced by the end of the weekend.  The guests can meet with mediators, lawyers, and other professionals, who attempt to make divorce more pleasant in a luxurious hotel setting.

According to news reports, Halfens supposedly invited Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher to be his guests, but the couple reportedly did not respond.

As an Augusta, Georgia divorce attorney, (see here), I must admit that I find Halfens' idea of a "divorce hotel" to be somewhat intriguing.  But because divorces can often be complicated matters, particularly when child custody and complex property division issues are present, I personally doubt whether this idea will work for most people.  

Also, there is the matter of cost.  According to news reports, the "divorce hotel" experience can run from $3500 to $10,000.00.  That is simply beyond the means of most people.

But again, even if I, as a divorce lawyer, never send any clients to a divorce hotel, (and Halfens plans to open "divorce hotels" in the United States soon), I can still possibly sit back, like you, and watch his proposed new "divorce hotel" reality show on t.v. in the fall!

The Goolsby Law Firm Brag Board

[Photo of Goolsby Law Firm located at 233 Davis Road, Augusta GA]

I hope you don't mind if I, as a proud father, brag a little bit today about my second son, Blake Goolsby.  As you may know, I already practice law in Augusta, Georgia with my oldest son, Ric, and now, my second son, Blake Goolsby, will be joining us, later this summer, at the Goolsby Law Firm! (see here) In other words, my second son, Blake, just graduated from Mercer Law School a week ago. Now, he is studying for the Georgia Bar Exam before he joins us at our family law practice later this summer in Augusta. We are so proud of Blake and all his accomplishments!

Of course, I don't mean to overlook my third son, Zachary, who just completed his first year of law school at the University of Georgia, in Athens.  We are proud of Zach, too, and also look forward to him joining us at the Goolsby Law Firm in a couple of years, too!  We are truly a family law firm which handles a little bit of everything, including divorces, adoptions, personal injury, and criminal law, in both Georgia state and federal courts.

That's all for bragging about my sons today!  I hope you understood!

The Continuing Deion Sanders Divorce Saga

[Photo of Deion Sanders from wikipedia]

The divorce between former football star Deion Sanders and his spouse, Pilar, continues to play out in the media spotlight. According to various news reports, this past week, Deion Sanders was awarded temporary custody of the parties' three children.  Of course, no one can predict what the court will do at a final hearing.

As Augusta, Georgia divorce lawyers, we sometimes see one party being awarded temporary custody, at a temporary hearing, (which is called a thirty day conference here), only to see custody change by the time of the final hearing.

In some cases involving child custody, as divorce attorneys, we ask the judge to appoint a guardian ad litem to investigate which party should be awarded child custody, along with helping the judge to address child visitation issues.  The guardian ad litem essentially operates as the "eyes and ears" of the court and reports back to the court with their recommendations.

Here's hoping that Deion and Pilar Sanders are able to work out their remaining issues outside the media spotlight.

Celebrity Separations and Divorces: Chris Harrison

[Photo of The Batchelor Host Chris Harrison and Prior Contestant Jillian Harris from wikipedia]

Have you heard the sad news this past week about yet another celebrity couple reportedly separating?  According to various news reports, Chris Harrison, the host of the popular reality dating series, The Batchelor, along with its various spin-offs, and his wife of 18 years, are reportedly calling it quits.  (A prior contestant is shown in the above photograph from wikipedia with Mr. Harrison).

Of course, if the couple divorces, this inevitably invites the question of whether or not Mr. Harrison will ever be a contestant on his own program. What do you think?

[We are Augusta, GA divorce attorneys who often blog about celebrity divorces and offer practical divorce tips for you to discuss with your own Georgia divorce lawyer.  See here]