Good morning,
We are working with author and former divorce lawyer John D. Bieber on the promotion of his latest book: Am I Loved? The Most Asked Question Of All Time. We asked him about his predictions regarding divorce rates post-pandemic and comment on the 'grey divorce' trend. Please see the press release below for more information. If you'd like to be sent a copy of his new book let us know. John lives in Sussex, was born and worked as a distinguished divorce lawyer in London for decades, and is available for media interviews, editorial commissions and to provide comment on a range of topics.
Thank you,
Helen Lewis
Director - Literally PR
www.literallypr.com
PRESS RELEASE
Predictions for divorce rates post-pandemic, why Am I Loved? is the most asked question, and the rising ‘grey divorce' trend
"Love is the measure of survival. Am I Loved? is the language of survival."
- John D. Bieber
Former divorce lawyer, happily married father and grandfather, and author of If Divorce is the Only Way (Penguin) and new book, Am I Loved? (Umbria Press) is available for media interviews about the impact of the pandemic on relationships, the human condition and experience, life and love, divorce and marriage, emotions and faith, health and happiness.
Sussex, United Kingdom: The full impact of Covid-19 on relationships, particularly marriages, is still unclear, with mixed reports about decreases in divorce petitions being filed in 2020 (1) and divorce rates dropping (2) versus increases in legal enquiries (3) and a sharp rise in Google searches for terms such as "quickie divorce" (4) in December 2020 versus 2019. Author and former divorce lawyer, John D. Bieber, predicts that the true extent of damage - along with a spike in divorces - is yet to come.
"During 2020, lockdowns and general insecurity made it very difficult for people to go through the legal motions of filing for a divorce. Redundancies and furlough made the expense of a divorce a step too far for many," explains John D. Bieber, who spent 30 years working as a top divorce lawyer.
While the average age for couples to divorce pre-pandemic was around 30, we are seeing a rise in 55-plus year olds separating. Divorce rates for over 50s in America have doubled since 1990. John D. Bieber says that this so-called‘grey divorce'trend is likely to increase in the UK in the next 12 to 18 months as people emerge out of lockdown and restrictions end. "More people are re-assessing their life choices, asking themselves Am I Loved? and not getting the sort of answers they would hope for at this stage of their lives. The positive and growing interest in my book, since it came out in May, demonstrates an increase in people becoming more reflective and introspective: they're questioning the meaning of life, the purpose of their own lives, and of course, the future. Naturally, after such a major life event like Covid-19, this makes sense. And, based on my experience of working on relationship breakdowns over the three decades, I think it's going to happen more and more."
As one reader said recently after reading Am I Loved? "This is a necessary and vital read, especially in the current climate when everything has been so different, and we've all had to deal with so many changes within our lives."
"Needing someone to love us is a major pre-occupation of humanity. Am I Loved? is indeed the most asked question of all time and I predict it's one that many people will be asking themselves as they emerge out of the pandemic. Having seen so many bad marriages end in bad divorces, I felt compelled to write my first book (If Divorce is the Only Way), but then it became clear that there is so much more to this question. As a divorce lawyer, I witnessed so many people in huge distress who were rendered incapable of taking constructive decisions due to the onslaught of their emotions. This led me to write a book on the emotional side of divorce, which in turn led to a detailed study of our emotions - which were clearly not understood at all," explains John D. Bieber.
"Am I Loved? is a thought-provoking, beautifully-written book which explores the human condition from an entirely original perspective. It continues where Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker left off, presenting a carefully evidenced understanding of life which is ground-breaking in its implications. The blend of philosophy and psychology theory takes the read on a unique journey and, as a psychiatrist, I found the level of theoretical interrogation both sound and successful. It provides a new understanding of a universal experience which was previously hardly understood at all. This is an important book." Dr N J Cooling, Consultant Psychiatrist MBBS MRCPsych Dip Clin Psych
Notes to Editors
Am I Loved? The most asked question of all time by John D. Bieber, Umbria Press, May 2021, is available in ebook and hardback, soon to be audiobook online and in all good bookshops.
www.johndbieber.co.uk@johnbieberbooks
Digital and hardback copies are available for media consideration.
Interview and editorial / article / extract requests toinfo@literallypr.com.
- Data published in March 2021, showed that in the UK the number of divorce petitions filed fell to 82,277 from April 1 to December 31 2020, down 5% from 86,528 in the same period in 2019 (private wealth law firm Boodle Hatfield).
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/naomicahn/2021/01/15/why-marriage-and-divorce-rates-are-dropping-during-the-pandemic/
- British law firm Stewarts logged a 122% increase in divorce enquiries between July and October 2002, compared with the same period last year.
- https://www.richardnelsonllp.co.uk/service/family/divorce/divorce-day/