Starting later in September, a New York State hotel will begin offering more than luxury accommodations, lovely walks and sunset picnics. Couples will get the chance to check out with their divorce complete.
The Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs has partnered with a Dutch company called the Divorce Hotel. The company has done divorce mediations at hotels across Europe, but this is the first time it has done so in the U.S.
Over a three-day stay at the Gideon Putnam, couples in the midst of divorce will work with Divorce Hotel mediators to try to negotiate settlements of important issues, like division of assets, child custody and spousal support. The Divorce Hotel charges “around $5,000” for this service, according to one of the mediators.
She said that it is indeed possible to complete a divorce settlement in three days, even with the spouses taking breaks to spend time in the Gideon Putnam’s spa, or stroll its “beautiful grounds.”
Mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution can be a lower-stress, faster way of finalizing your divorce. Of course, it requires that you and your spouse are still able to work together toward a common goal, even though at least one of you no longer wants to be married.
Many divorcing couples are not in a position where they can sit in a room together and compromise on asset division and other matters. People in this situation need a divorce attorney who will be a strong advocate for their goals and rights, while still able to negotiate in good faith.
Source: WRIC-TV, “Divorce Hotel: Check in Married, Check Out Single,” Sept. 8, 2014
