First-time writer and director Joseph Sorge worked on a documentary called “Divorce Corp,” which featured US divorce and the country’s Family Law industry. Learn more about this topic in this article from Jackson Hole News and Guide.
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Nearly 44 percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And for many couples whose marriage vows turn sour, the lengthy battle to say “I don’t” sends them to bankruptcy court.
First-time writer and director Joseph Sorge, a part-time Jackson Hole resident, saw firsthand the frustrating, painful and expensive process so many were facing. With a group of researchers, Sorge began studying the $50 billion U.S. family law industry, eventually creating his first documentary, “Divorce Corp.”
Sorge will host a screening of his documentary at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Center for the Arts. A Q&A with the filmmakers will follow.
“I had been through a situation myself,” Sorge said of his inspiration for the film. “It turned out fine, but while I went through it I saw what a nightmare it was for so many people. Many people couldn’t get lawyers, the laws were so complicated, and there [are] so many forms. It really is a nightmare for people.”
Narrated by Dr. Drew Pinsky, of HLN network’s “Dr. Drew On Call,” the documentary explores the inner workings of an industry that includes attorneys, mediators, judges and litigants. At the same time the film shares stories of people who whose cases ended in bankruptcies or loss of child custody.
“Family law, which barely existed for most of our country’s history, has morphed into a gigantic industry over the past several decades,” according to the film’s website. “These facts piqued our interest, but when we began making our documentary film in 2011 we had no idea we were about to uncover the last vestige of lawlessness in America.”
Sorge hopes the film sheds light on the need for reform, while giving people who may go through this process insight into how to avoid the downward spiral.
One tip, he said: “Use a mediator.”
The film compares the U.S. family law system to that of Scandinavia, where Sorge and his team traveled to explore the much less legally driven system — one he hopes will influence the future of our courts.
“We went to Scandinavia to compare the way they process divorces versus the U.S.,” he said. “It is so different and so much more humane: no courts, no lawyers. Typically they just use an accountant to divide up the assets.”
Sorge happened upon filmmaking and the entertainment industry after deciding to switch gears from his biotech company. He has worked in reality television and splits his time between Jackson Hole and Los Angeles.
His documentary has received mixed reviews, he said, explaining that viewers praised how it helped raise awareness about the topic, but critics wondered if he and his team proved their case thoroughly enough.
The LA Times wrote in its review, “The director could have better argued aspects of his brief, but his healthy outrage illuminates the ways an offshoot of the legal system has become a profit-driven industry.”
But Sorge’s purpose remains shedding light and touting the need for reform, a point he makes quite clearly. He has even authored a book with the same title that is due to come out in two weeks.
“Anyone who is considering divorce or marriage should see the film,” Sorge said.
Tickets for the screening cost $14 and are available at the center box office at 265 S. Cache, at 733-4900 or online at JHCenterForTheArts.org.
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