Chicago lawyer's billboard: "Life's Short. Get a Divorce"

[.]

Regarding a story on ABC News:

"'Life's Short.  Get a Divorce' -- Chicago Billboard Turns Heads"
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3147979&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

ASININE QUOTE OF THE DAY:

But Fetman defends the billboard, almost gleefully. Recycling popular catch phrases seems to come naturally to her. "Lawyers don't cause divorces. People cause divorces," she said. "If you think somebody's going to look at a billboard and go out and get a divorce as a result, you're insulting the intelligence of people. If that's the case, our next billboard is going to read, 'Gimme Your Money.'"

The reason her analogy (above) falls flat is that it is in the interest of women to get a divorce.  They cash out almost all the time in the aftermath.  According to economists Greg Duncan and Saul Hoffman, women only experience a nine percent drop in their income in the first year after a divorce (not 73 percent, as claimed in a discredited study by feminist author Lenore Weitzman).  By the end of the second year, women's standard of living is equal to the standard they had before divorce (due mostly to remarriage).   By the end of the fifth year, women were 10 percent ahead of where they were before divorce.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
SOURCE: "The Economic Consequences of Marital Instability," in Martin David and Timothy Smeeding, eds., Horizontal Equity, Uncertainty & Economic Well-Being, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1985

All this while the man she divorced remains obligated to provide both alimony and Mother Support.

Frankly, this law firm is encouraging women to do what is in their better interests financially.  That is the difference between the effect of her ad, and the hypothetical she posed in her quote ("Gimme your money").  It puts a spark in the minds of entitled women and encourages them to break up their families, while financially devastating their provider/protector husbands.  It encourages women to divorce by feeding their Inner Narcissist.  THAT is why this billboard is more than just fluff.

[dr e]

I'd be curious to hear what the men's figures are for the 1st and 2nd year.  They go down right?

Here's what miss priss lawyer says about her ad:

As far as Fetman is concerned, it's a lighthearted splash of color in an otherwise dreary area of legal advertisement. "It promotes happiness,'' she said. "It promotes happiness and personal integrity."

So she is saying that she is promoting happiness?  LMFAO  What a liar and being divorced she knows she is lying. 

In some ways this is a good thing because it actually comes closer to telling the truth about the divorce industry and the lawyers who profit from other's pain.   Give us your money and we will make sure your kids are emotionally devastated.  What is important to you?  Your happiness or your childrens well being?  It should be your happiness.  If you aren't happy just get a divorce.  Who cares about anyone else?  FHATHSRIO

[stands2p]

It was vaguely gratifying to see a woman weigh in against the ad:

Karen Enright, president-elect of the Women's Bar of Illinois, shared similar feelings. "It's actually a disappointment to the profession and to the institution of marriage, which is something our community holds as sacred,'' she said. "Our profession, and lawyers in general, have been under attack for advertisements similar to this and I think,'' she said, pausing. "I think that it's not in good taste.''

Here's a tip for all young single guys: take a screen shot of the ad, print it up and get it laminated for your wallet.  When your lady friends start making wedding noises and wanting to know why you haven't made with the ring, pull out the ad and let them know life is too short to stick your head in a noose.

[MacKenzie]

Latest update: The billboard is history:
Life's Short

[Libertariandadd]

An all-female law firm is turning heads in Chicago with a new billboard and a blunt message:

"Life's Short. Get a Divorce.''

Now why doesnt this surprise me? 

[CaptDMO]

I'd be curious to hear what the men's figures are for the 1st and 2nd year.  They go down right?

Here's what miss priss lawyer says about her ad:

As far as Fetman is concerned, it's a lighthearted splash of color in an otherwise dreary area of legal advertisement. "It promotes happiness,'' she said. "It promotes happiness and personal integrity."

So she is saying that she is promoting happiness?  LMFAO  What a liar and being divorced she knows she is lying. 

In some ways this is a good thing because it actually comes closer to telling the truth about the divorce industry and the lawyers who profit from other's pain.   Give us your money and we will make sure your kids are emotionally devastated.  ....

Surely there's a Chicago Shakespere Festival that can advertise with a quote,
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." - William Shakespeare c.1590, Henry VI Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2-

But Fetman defends the billboard, almost gleefully. Recycling popular catch phrases seems to come naturally to her. "Lawyers don't cause divorces. People cause divorces,'' she said. "If you think somebody's going to look at a billboard and go out and get a divorce as a result, you're insulting the intelligence of people. If that's the case, our next billboard is going to read, 'Gimme Your Money.'"

[TheManOnTheStreet]

Hmmmm If there is such a thing as an "old boy network" or a "patriarchy" holding women out of high paying cushy positions, then how is it that this law firm was able to get all female lawyers?  That would indicate that they intentionally hired females only....right?  Isn't that against the law?

Ahem...

TMOTS

[dr e]

Hmmmm If there is such a thing as an "old boy network" or a "patriarchy" holding women out of high paying cushy positions, then how is it that this law firm was able to get all female lawyers?  That would indicate that they intentionally hired females only....right?  Isn't that against the law?

Ahem...

TMOTS

LOL!  Good point TMOS.  OTOH maybe no men wanted to work there...

[K9]

Isn't that against the law?

You forget wherein it is written "...it is against the law unless a female defendant is involved then we'll think about it, and probably end up just giving wrist slaps, kisses and hugs all around."

[TheManOnTheStreet]

OH... silly me.

TMOTS

[Big Log]

Isn't that against the law?

You forget wherein it is written "...it is against the law unless a female defendant is involved then we'll think about it, and probably end up just giving wrist slaps, kisses and hugs all around."

Which brings to mind whenever the judge orders my wife to do something.. it is simply a guideline that she can either follow or ignore. Me? if so ordered, then so done or else.


Is there a law that states orders are not withstanding for women in family court but enforeced with men? The answer is no, just mandated.

[The Invisible Male]

I think there needs to be a campaign to have that law firm sued for discriminatory hiring practices.  Use the Title IX argument--if 50% of lawyers are men, then their law firm needs to have 50% men on staff, even if it means firing some of those broads.  Serve a few of them "divorce papers" (aka. pink slips)   

[.]

The lady who runs the law firm that put up the billboard was on the Tom Leykis show.  Listen here:

http://podcast.971freefm.com/klsx1/448924.mp3

While I tend to agree with a lot of Tom's advice on rules for dating, I take exception to the slant he uses in the above broadcast in favor of the law firm.  He implies that the billboard was taken down in an affront to free speech (yet no one was jailed or fined).  But worse, he contradicts some of his earlier pronouncements against women divorcing reliable providing husbands and fathers because they were bored (he called one such women a "bitch" after she admitted to marrying a reliable workhorse/father not for love but for money, then divorcing him because he wasn't interesting enough).  Now he acts as though divorce benefits men because marriage is restrictive.  Marriage very well may be restrictive in many cases, depending on the chemistry.  But there can be no doubt that divorce is financially beneficial to women, and financially detrimental to men.  I have cited data that supports this idea in the first post of this thread.  Leykis is just out for ratings, and even contradicts his very own prior statements.

[K9]

Citizens for Legal Responsibility gives their law firm a thumbs down. This page was updated the 9th, so I'm assuming the thumbs down was given because of the billboard. http://www.clr.org/Chicago.Women.At.Law.html

CLR does not recommend the law firm of Chicago Women at Law, Ltd., Fetman, Garland & Associates, Ltd., or attorneys Corri D. Fetman or Kelly C. Garland.