Couples Get "Unhitched" In Special Saturday Session
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - A 'quickie divorce' took on a whole new meaning Saturday in one Broward courtroom where a special session was held to plow through dozens of divorces.
Judge Arthur Birken was just one of eight county judges who presided over the session which was composed of uncontested divorces and a couple of name changes. The Family Pro Se Day (do-it-yourself in Latin) was an effort to clear the court's docket, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald . All of the participants represented themselves paid about $400 to have their divorce granted/case closed.
Many couples seeking a divorce, where everything had been settled accept the official paperwork, thought the Saturday session was great idea; they didn't have to miss work and parking was free.
Broward's court systems, like many other jurisdictions, are seeing a growing number of pro se cases because people seeking a divorce just can't hire a lawyer because they can't afford it.
At day's end, there were few glitches and everyone deemed the session a success.
Courts administrator Carol Lee Ortman told they may have another similar session if need be but probably not any time soon because it requires the cooperation of a number of agencies and takes months to plan.
