Do-it-yourself divorce: £l2

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 5

Do-it-yourself divorce: £l2

(From CHARLES COOPER. London correspondent “The Press')

LONDON, January 18.

A tremor of unease rippled through London solicitors’ offices last week. The pin-stripe occupants had just heard of a woman who conducted her own divorce petition—successfully — and it cost her only £l2.

She estimated that, with legal help, the same result would have cost her between £lOO and £l2O. The do-it-yourself petitioner was a 29-year-old theatrical designer, Jenny Ranson, who was suing for a decree nisi from her actor husband, Malcolm Ranson, also aged 29. After five minutes in front

|of the judge Mrs Ranson was 1 told: “You can have the decree you ask for.” “COMPETENT ELECTRICIAN” “I have always done things for myself.” said Mrs Ranson afterwards.

“As a former stage electrician’s assistant I am competent to do a lot of electrical repairs around the house. I maintain my own car, I design and make all my own clothes — so, I thought, why not take my own divorce.” Mrs Ranson told the judge: “I am appearing without barrister or solicitor.” In the witness box she reviewed the four-year marriage and produced a certificate from her husband that he consented to her being given a divorce on the grounds that they had been apart for more than two vears and that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. And the divorce, which took only five minutes — “Much shorter than my wedding”—cost Mrs Ranson £l2 court fees plus 3p for a book on divorce law from the Citizens’ Advice Bureau plus a few more pence for legal forms. GOOD FRIENDS

“I am not surprised she took her own case,” said Mr Ranson. “She is a very practical girl. Her knowledge of electricity puts me to shame. “Although we have not lived togther for two years we are good friends. I had agreed to pay half the divorce costs — but I did not think I would get off this lightly.”

The last word comes from the Law Society: “This was a straight - forward, up - and - down case. Many divorces are extremely complicated.”