By: LISA R. WILSON

For richer or poorer; till death do us part. Because of such a poor economy, many couples across the nation are sticking to these vows, even when they don’t want to. Divorce lawyers say more unhappy couples nationwide are not filing for divorce because the cost of splitting up in a time of rising unemployment, plummeting house sales and a grim financial future comes at too high of a price.
“The stress of economic uncertainty often worsens already shaky unions, but it also can make couples more financially dependent on each other,” said Pamela Smock, a researcher at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Just the cost of divorce alone is keeping troubled couples out of court. For a contested proceeding that goes to court, a couple with one child can expect a divorce to cost anywhere from $53,000 to $188,000, according to calculations by the Web site Divorce360, which factored in attorneys’ fees, real-estate costs for buying or renting separate properties, etc.

“What the judicial officers are telling us is that people who do come in are saying they can’t afford the cost of splitting up and going into two households — they can barely pay for the one,” said Scott L. Rubin, a marital and family lawyer in Miami who is chairman of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar. “The housing market is down, it’s hard to sell, and when you can sell, you’re selling it at a depressed price, so a lot of people are deciding … ‘It’s not worth it to do it (at) this time. Let’s stay together. Let’s try to work through our problems and hope that the economy will spring back.”

However, regardless of the economy or personal finances, there are times when the only solution to a failing marriage is divorce, no matter the cost. If you believe you are in this situation, or for more information on divorce, contact a qualified Family Law attorney in your area today to discuss the specifics of your case.