Divorce is tough enough without unnecessary delay. I think the failure or refusal of many lawyers and many Courts to use email causes huge amounts of that delay.
Just think; a letter takes what......3 days if you're lucky to get from the mouth of the creator of it to the recipient. (Dictation, waiting for typist, waiting for signature, ooops just missed the post, delivered 1 or 2 days later). An email takes seconds.
I pause just to make it clear that any divorce will take weeks due to statutory waiting periods and that the lawyer also needs preparation and thinking time--but that time is the same whether by email or letter. So, letters just add to the time taken.
I reckon, from a quick check, that in the average divorce there are about 22 letters in and out. That is from and to the client, other lawyers and Court.
Sending all these by letter takes a total of 66 days! That is, please note, 2 months and 1 week!
Sending all these by email would take 66 minutes at the very, very most. 2 months and 1 week saved from the length of the average divorce. Oh, and it is cheaper for all the people involved.
So, what is the problem?
Time for the Government to make Courts use email and for the Law Society (SRA) to require divorce lawyers to use email as the normal method of communication.
Andrew Woolley
Divorce Solicitor