Cheating website offers a competition to win a divorce

A website which encourages its users to have extra marital affairs is running a competition to win a divorce. In an effort to increase its membership the website offers the competition to new visitors who are asked to enter their email address in order to have a chance of winning a contribution of £1,800 towards legal fees involved in a divorce.

The website which is called Maritalaffair.co.uk has launched the competition at a time when divorce rates are increasing. The most recent figures from the Office of National Statistics, has shown that divorce rates have increased by 4.9 per cent which is the first rise in divorce rates in eight years.

The ONS figures have also shown that the rate of divorce is 200 times higher than it was 100 years ago even though the rate of marriage is lower.

The controversial competition has attracted considerable criticism and has even been subject to a debate on a BBC Newcastle radio show. On the show, Sharon Kell, founder of the dating site Coco Moon said: ‘It has to be morally wrong on every level to encourage you to have an extra-marital affair, and then say “by the way if you get caught we’ll pay for your divorce” – that is surely wrong on every level.

Paul Graham, the managing director of Maritalaffair.co.uk defended the competition and said:

‘People have an increasing desire to make the most of their lives, and if that means moving on to a new relationship then so be it.

‘To make things more difficult, many people feel compelled to cheat because they can’t afford the legal fees associated with filing for divorce.’

This entry was posted on Tuesday 31st July, 2012. Edit this entry.