Folks have been able to tap friends, acquaintances and even strangers for funding for everything from a new wheelchair to honeymoon help to a college education. Divorce can now be added to that list.
FundedJustice.com is among sites that have recently begun to promote crowdfunded divorce on their website and twitter feed.
According to Quartz, "Plumfund, an online fundraising platform created by couple Sara and Josh Margulis (who first set up honeymoon registry Honeyfund in 2006), has recently added ‘Divorce’ as one of its sections. The thinking is to let people going through a divorce, or their family and friends, use the platform to raise money for various expenses, be they legal or custody fees or new furniture costs."
According to its website, on Plumfund one can use a divorce registry to raise cash for the divorce, for furniture and household items for a fresh start, for child care, attorneys fees and more. "Register for specific items with a Plumfund wish list, or simply pool cash donations. Gifts are free of charge with offline payments, or online at a very low cost."
Notes Quartz: "Accurate statistics on divorce rates in the United States have long been contested, but Plumfund’s new venture — which the founders claim has 114 divorce registries since launching in March — is an addition to a growing dialogue around the parting of ways. Divorce party planning has emerged as a business of its own in recent years, and some parting couples are marking their trip to the courthouse with selfies.
Community Digital News helps explain the need: "Statistics about the average cost of a divorce are difficult to pin down, in part because the issues involved in a divorce can vary so much from couple to couple. According to Forbes Magazine and several legal websites, the generally accepted figure for a divorce that goes to court for any reason (a litigated divorce) is between $15,000 and $30,000. But it can be considerably more if the parties involved decide to go to war with each other."
A couple of years ago, the BBC reported on hot divorce trends, including the divorce party. Its example was a woman who took some friends and her wedding dress on an excursion to Las Vegas, where she used a submachine gun to shred the garb.
The "divorce selfie" has also been a viral hit of late, as the Deseret News reported in March.
The story also reported on the downside of divorce, especially if the couple has children. "A broad body of research shows that, absent some form of domestic violence or serious substance abuse on the part of a parent, kids fare better in two-parent households headed by the natural parents. In any case, children thrive best with lots of access to and love from both parents. A recent look at shared parenting after divorce by the Deseret News found that it might reduce conflict between father and mother, if they don't exhibit behaviors of an unfit parent."
It noted that "a large body of research shows kids who have strong relationships with both parents, including after divorce, are happier, do better in school, are less likely to be bullied and are less apt to engage in delinquent acts. Teen pregnancy is also reduced."
Email: lois@deseretnews.com, Twitter: Loisco