Divorce Fair: From DNA to Dating Service
Camera-shy individuals apparently were daunted by a swarm of journalists on day one of what was billed as the world’s first-ever divorce fair on Saturday.
But despite a dearth of participants the Vienna, Austria, event was nonetheless an eye-opening example of how vendors, including lawyers, could be brought face-to-face with potential clients who want out of an unhappy marriage. From DNA testing to a dating service, the fair offered a one-stop shopping experience for potential divorcees, reports the Associated Press. One vendor offered hair extensions and highlights, among other beauty regimens.
“They want to leave their old lives behind, and how better to do that than with these?” says “Hairdreams” operator Isabella Stozek, whose booth featured a display of braids, ponytails and wigs.
Although the Roman Catholic Church was also there, at a booth staffed with social workers to help newly single parents, one participant, who gave only her first name, Ingrid, still saw a gap that could potentially be filled at future divorce fairs. “It would be nice to have people here to talk to for those who are not yet willing to take the leap,” she says. “Who knows how many here could still save their marriages, if they tried?”
Additional details are given in an earlier ABAJournal.com post and an article from a British newspaper, the Guardian.
