Coronavirus has no doubt changed American life for the foreseeable future. As businesses and restaurants across Georgia close their doors to prevent the spread, so have many state and federal courts.
For couples who are in the midst of a divorce, this is likely the last thing they want to hear.
However, some courts are offering alternative options to continue hearings as usual. While they may not always be ideal or conventional, they may be the next best option for spouses looking to move forward with their separation.
One of the ways courts are doing this is by offering couples to do their divorce hearings by telephone or Skype.
Some judges may have been skeptical of these practices in the past, as there are some instances where spouses would call in because they didn’t want to show up to court. But during this time of social distancing, those who were initially hesitant may understand the importance of the process
However, divorcing spouses should also know that there are various requirements they need to meet to make the hearing effective
Basic guidelines for digital hearings
Here are the rules they’ll need to abide by:
- Both are required to call into the courtroom at their scheduled times
- Both need to have multiple options available to call in in case of technical malfunctions
- Both should listen to the judge and the other partner, but keep phones on silent
Weighing the pros and cons
For some couples, this option may be beneficial, as it can allow them to go through the motions as courts remain closed for the unforeseeable future. For others, if they feel like this isn’t an option they can pursue, they may have to wait until the courts reopen to continue their divorce proceedings.
Many spouses going through a divorce want to go through the process as quickly as possible. And while the fears surrounding COVID-19 continues to put the world on lockdown, they have options available.