While eHarmony and other internet sites are making matches, another online industry is splitting them up.
Online divorce: it's cheap, fast, and easy. At least that's what the marketers say. Attorneys say there is no such thing as a free lunch or a free divorce.
As the virtual world becomes more real, however, something is definitely missing in online divorces. It's nothing personal.
Online Divorce
Karen Cory, a divorce attorney, says you can't really get an "online divorce." Websites may charge $137 to file a dissolution case, but there's a lot more to it.
"It would be great if life was that easy, but that's just not the way things work," she says. And everybody actually knows that.
Still, people seem to be going that way when it comes to divorce and conflict resolution in general. It's the way of the least resistance: the virtual world.
According to reports, hundreds of thousands of people are registering with online justice services. It's getting to the point that computers can tell you when your marriage is in trouble.
Alexa, Will We Divorce?
According to the Family Law Prof Blog, smart assistants can be used to predict breakups or provide relationship counseling. They can do it by listening to our conversations.
Alexa, for example, listens 24/7 for commands to perform a variety of tasks. She can pick up cues from voice pitch, volume, and context, then respond with ways to help.
In other words, a robot could become a better listener than family law attorneys. They don't need to worry about being replaced by a robot, however.
Amazon will surely sell ads or program referrals somewhere in Alexa's universe.
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