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Law Firm Offers Free Divorce: Churches Object

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on June 22, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Publicity has been showered on Follett Stock Solicitors, a law firm that offers free divorces if you apply before the June 30th deadline.

"Do you need a divorce? Would you like a lawyer who is straight talking and hates jargon? Would you like to have a FREE divorce? If you answered YES, YES, YES then Follett Stock is the law firm for you," reads advertisements posted by British firm Follett Stock Solicitors, according to The Daily Mail.

Usually, divorces in the U.K. can cost up to £600, so a free divorce would save would-be divorcees no small amount of money.

Of course, not everybody is happy with the firm for offering its services. Father Robin Eastoe, a rector of the Heavitree team of churches in Exeter, thinks that the ads are bad because they encourage couples to split up quickly without giving counseling or other options a chance, reports The Daily Mail.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Exeter also had negative comments about the offer, saying that it was an "attention-seeking stunt," reports The Daily Mail.

Though, the firm's "free" service only really applies to putting paperwork before the court. Clients would still have to pay for court fees, defended divorce proceedings, figuring out finances or child custody, tracing a spouse or getting lost documents, according to The Daily Mail.

So, while this free divorce offer only applies for a limited time for one particular firm across the pond, there are a variety of other free legal services that may be available to low-income individuals here in the States. Legal aid organizations or legal services organizations, funded usually with a combination of government funds and private donations, offer free legal representation for low-income individuals or individuals fighting for specific causes.

Sometimes the organizations will have strict requirements on who they can help - usually clients that fall below a certain income level. And, they might only be for specific causes, like furthering fair housing, fighting discrimination, or helping victims of domestic violence.

So while legal services probably won't be offering you a free divorce, maybe you can hold out hope - given the amount of publicity Follett Stock Solicitors has generated through its ads, maybe a law firm that offers free divorces will soon pop up stateside.

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