2 Mich. women win free Valentine's Day divorces
- Free divorce contest garnered 600 submissions
- The average cost of a divorce in the United States%2C according to Forbes.com%2C ranges from %2415%2C000 to %2430%2C000
- Law firm says giveaway acknowledges today%u2019s economic realities and the emotional strains of Valentine%u2019s Day
Flowers, chocolates, divorce?
Romance isn't the only thing being celebrated this Valentine's Day.
Two Detroit women have won free divorces from the Southfield law firm of attorney Walter H. Bentley III for Valentine's Day -- Debi Cloonan, of Hazel Park and Tara Fleek of Dearborn.
"I'm just totally ecstatic," said Cloonan, 51.
The average cost of a divorce in the United States, according to Forbes.com, ranges from $15,000 to $30,000, although some estimates for uncontested divorces are significantly less.
In a press release, Bentley said that the divorce giveaway is an acknowledgment of today's economic realities and the emotional strains of Valentine's Day. Contestants submitted their personal stories and had to be seeking an uncontested divorce, where both sides agreed on most issues. The deadline was midnight Tuesday.
"After receiving close to 600 submissions, we narrowed it down to two people. We just couldn't decide who to choose. I made a decision to give both of them a free divorce," Bentley said in the release.
Fleek cited financial difficulties in her submission.
"My husband and I were married for 5 years and have been separated for over 3 years. We have been struggling to make ends meet," according to Fleek's submission.
Cloonan said Bentley's call Wednesday informing her of the prize was providing "a little spark" to today.
Cloonan has been separated from her husband, John, for years but the focus on raising her three children, now ages 18, 23 and 24, and difficulty finding long-term work had kept her from pursuing a divorce.
The Cloonans never recovered their emotional connection after their son, Brandon, died of crib death when he was three months old, and then three days later, Debi Cloonan's mother died of a heart attack. Brandon would be 22 in July.
"It's something you will never forget," Debi Cloonan said of the death of a child.
Getting the divorce, Debi Cloonan said, will help her move forward on a variety of fronts.