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If your marriage doesn’t work out, don’t check into Heartbreak Hotel, check into Divorce Hotel, instead. Believe it or not, this type of arrangement does exist. Boosters suggest that the process can be quite effective, unless your divorce is characterized by these complications:

  •     A messy financial picture
  •     A spouse who is hiding assets and making unfair accusations
  •     Disagreements concerning your children
  •     You and your spouse can’t get along
  •     One or both of you have attorneys, and you’re not willing to part with them

How to Get a Divorce in One Weekend

In Saratoga Springs, New York, there’s a hotel where couples can check in as married, spend a weekend in pursuit of leisure, and check out as newly minted singles.

Here’s how the New York Post explained this unusual option: “Welcome to the DivorceHotel — well, technically, the Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa — where you can check in as a married couple on Friday and check out divorced by Sunday. The entire package costs $5,000, and includes separate accommodations for two nights, a designated lawyer for each party and a mediator to draw up divorce papers. There’s also a welcome basket containing Saratoga sparkling water, red wine, dark chocolate and other goodies, as well as a DivorceHotel information packet.”

But can you really get a divorce done that quickly and thoughtlessly? More to the point: should you?

According reports about this unusual hotel, much of the actual negotiating of your divorce terms takes place before you check in. It’s all handled by a non-attorney mediator.

If you want the process to go smoothly, you’ll need to ensure one thing: You and your spouse agree on everything. Even Divorce Hotel advocates say that if the couple disagrees over asset division, spousal support, child custody, or other details of the split, they will be better off getting an attorney and taking a more traditional approach to dissolving their union. This type of divorce, say boosters, is for couples who can settle their differences amicably and without a lot of fuss.

The Downside to Divorce Hotel

Divorce Hotel is a part of an international conglomerate started in the Netherlands. The Saratoga Springs hotel was the first in the U.S., and it opened its doors in September 2014. In other words, it’s a business model, not a law firm.

While this type of divorce may be fast and inexpensive, risks abound — some obvious, some subtler. For instance, the non-attorney mediator could leave out some key details out, and that lack of clarity could boomerang and cause hard feelings and complications later.

The bottom line: if you’re considering a divorce, it almost always makes sense to discuss your situation with an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer first. Our team is here to help at (763) 783-5146.