I don’t
Australia doesn't seem to be very interested in marriage. Channel Ten seemed all fired up about its new reality TV series, Yasmin's Getting Married, which documented a 29-year-old recruitment manager's quest to find a groom in nine weeks. Then, at its debut, the show's ratings were so low, the network decided to can it, leaving the bride-to-be jilted well before she even reached the altar.
Perhaps the figures indicate a growing cynicism over relationships and the possibility of attaining marital bliss. How many in the audience at home thought privately that Yasmin's Getting Married would soon be followed by Yasmin's Getting a Divorce? People split up all the time; look at Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.
So the most surprising thing about www.i-dont.com.au is that there aren't more sites like it. Advertising itself as “Australia's divorce directory” and emblazoned with a logo of a cupid that's been shot in the back, the site's ‘About Us’ section proclaims,
The i-dont.com.au directory service makes it easier for all Australians to access information and services that can help them with all the different aspects of their relationship breakdown. This is a genuine community service to all parties involved.
What kind of ‘help’ are we talking about?
Well, amongst the articles on federal legislation, family law, shared parenting, and working out your finances and new living arrangements, you can also find yourself some decent short-term accommodation, buy i-dont.com.au merchandise (T-shirts and caps!) and join their online dating service to find yourself a new partner. (You can even participate in their polls and let them know your preferred method of meeting “new friends”.)
To be fair, there is a small (with great emphasis on the word ‘small’) amount of material about staying together and trying to make it work. And it's nice that there are articles on how to help your kids adjust, and what the government is doing to ensure equal visitation rights for fathers. But the overwhelming bulk of the content caters for couples who have already decided to separate and are working through the details of how to get through the proceedings as quickly and as easily as possible. There is very little acknowledgement of the pain and upheaval that broken relationships can cause, and almost nothing about how the victims of broken relationships can deal with the aftermath.
The negative effects of divorce—particularly on children—have been documented repeatedly. If the people behind i-dont.com.au were really seeking to provide “a genuine community service”, they would be promoting marriage counsellors, not divorce lawyers, and relationship advice, not financial tips.