The event organisers are estimating that more than 1000 people will attend the divorce fair. With more than 140,000 couples divorcing in the UK each year it would seem that there is certainly a market for such a 'fair'- even as unusual as it sounds.
Fair visitors can expect to see exhibitors at the show including solicitors, life coaches, counseling services, fortune tellers, spiritual help and mortgage advisors. The mortgage advisors are set to be one of the most popular exhibitors with people keen to extract themselves from joint financial arrangements. Based on a survey which included people attending the divorce fair, 30% of these divorcees have split as a result of extramarital affairs. Interestingly, there are no exhibitors attending giving DNA advice or private detective services. It is unclear if this is a policy introduced by the event organisers or not.
Common grievances for new
singles included a lack of information to help them find the right services needed to cope and deal with often complicated and emotionally damaging break ups. So its little wonder this new concept is being well received. Apart from
online chat dating services, discovering new options to find new relationships proved difficult for divorces above the age of 30.
The agenda of the fair is to put this group of singles back on track so they can begin the re-building stage. Its about having many industry experts at the same place at the same time to assist people getting past a break up. Although difficult at the time, leading relationships adviser Kathryn Haines points out that splitting from some relationships can be a blessing in disguise. "One of the hardest decisions to make is to actually walk away, if you have been questioning the quality of your relationship for a long period of time but remain in that relationship, you are possibly there purely out of habit. Although the quality of the relationship is not there many remain co-habitating to feel secure"
Relationships between husband and wife have clearly suffered in very recent times as a result of the economic down turn. Local council authorities in Britain have released figures suggesting that nearly 20% of couples have sort relationship counseling in the past 12 months. Unemployment, mortgage defaults have also been blamed for relationships going bad.
In 2006, Austria held the world's first ever 'Divorce Fair' in Vienna. With the divorce rate in Austria at a staggering 49% and in Vienna alone being at 65% its little wonder that the divorce fair concept originated in Austria and is held their numerous times each year.
