Divorce lawyers are reportedly rubbing their hands together with glee, while preparing for a windfall in the coming months, following the Ashley Madison hack, writes SF Gate.
Steve Mindel, a family law attorney based in Los Angeles, told the Associated Press that the hack could potentially be a goldmine for divorce lawyers.
“We’re all saying, ‘It’s going to be Christmas in September,’” Mindel told the Associated Press.
Mark Ressa, a family law specialist based in San Francisco said:
“We see a number of divorce cases where infidelity is the root of the filing,” he said, “and if you are the spouse that was cheated on, this can definitely help your cause.
Other California based lawyers aren’t as convinced as Mindel and Ressa that this is the beginning of a stream of lucrative business for them. Given that California is a “no-fault” state, spouses don’t need to prove wrong doing in order to file for divorce.
Divorce attorneys in Thailand Chaninat and Leeds have decades of experience in successfully handling divorce cases, both for Thai nationals and foreigners.
Christian Loizeaux, a family lawyer from Napa, says:
“California is a no-fault state, so it doesn’t really matter if you’re signed up for the website or not. If someone wants a divorce, they get one […] People have affairs. This website may make it easier for them, but people who are inclined to cheat are going to find a way.”
However, law firms worldwide are reporting daily calls from distressed spouses (largely women) who have discovered their husbands were registered on Ashley Madison, including Australia and the UK.
Luke Scanlon, a lawyer for Pinsent Masons predicts that Ashley Madison is going to have some hefty legal bills ahead of them as well. If customers decide to sue, Avid Life Media (Ashley Madison owners) could be facing up to $1.5 billion in legal fees.
They may also face a fine of $785,000 from the Information Commissioner for not having implemented appropriate security measures that might have prevented the hack in the first place.
Meanwhile, The Impact Team are showing little regret for the destruction they have left in the wake of their hack, eloquently saying:
“Too bad for those men, they’re cheating dirtbags and deserve no such discretion.”
For more on this story, see here and here.
Read about the Canadian lawsuit filed against Avid Life Media here.
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