Divorce
The pandemic is creating quite the caseload for divorce attorneys in Spokane.
 
David J. Crouse and his team of team of family law attorneys are processing more divorce filings than ever. 
 
"We have attorneys coming in here at 4 a.m. every day working, some of us staying until eight at night or later to try to keep on top of this," Crouse said.
 
His team looked forward to holidays; November and December typically mean fewer cases. They are used to a few calls a week at most this time of year.
 
"Our office receives, on average right now about three to five calls a day, four new filings, which is really unheard of this time of year," Crouse said. 
 
His office isn't alone, Shadan Kapri's practice is slammed too.
 
"I think what COVID has done is created this perfect storm of people who are now all in the house more than they've ever been. So, if there's been issues in the marriage, these things are bubbling up now," Kapri said. 
 
Kapri thinks that getting a divorce might be easier for families now that few people are traveling for the holidays. 
 
"For many people filing for divorce, a hard part of that is telling family and friends, a lot of people just don't want to have to deal with the barrage of questions," Kapri said. 
 
Despite their offices being so busy, the actual numbers of divorce filings at the Spokane County Courthouse is down compared to the last few years. 
 
Crouse believes it's because the courthouse was shut down for months. When they did re-open, scheduling hearings became more complicated due to COVID-19 protocols. 
 
Regardless, many divorce attorneys across Spokane are ready for a break. 
 
"It's hard to be too frustrated when so many of our clients are facing, you know, really tough economic times. But, it's still it's one of those COVID situations where everything has become difficult and everything's become frustrating," Crouse said. 
 
As for when things might actually start slowing down, Crouse thinks schools needed to re-open and restrictions need to be lifted. As we learned today, that's not happening any time soon. 

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