New website ‘amica’ set to streamline Australian divorces using smart technology and AI to resolve property settlements
A new $3 million website is set to streamline divorces around Australia, making use of cutting-edge AI to resolve difficult property disputes. Find out how you can avoid the courts in a divorce settlement.
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Couples going through a divorce will be able to avoid the courts – and have an artificial-intelligence program help divide their property – through a $3 million website launching on Tuesday.
The groundbreaking site, called amica, aims to streamline divorces by using smart technology to guide former couples to amicable settlements without hefty legal bills.
The site uses smart technology to suggest parenting arrangements that are in the best interests of children and most workable within a newly divided family’s situation.
At its core is a first-of-its-kind property settlement tool, which uses an artificial-intelligence program built from a database of past court judgments and settlements. The program considers a former couple’s assets and circumstances and compares them with agreements reached by other couples and how courts generally handle similar cases.
It then provides the parties with a suggested course for dividing their assets – without either spouse having to step inside a courtroom.
Figures released last week show a 314 per cent increase in the number of couples now thinking about separating, compared to before the global coronavirus pandemic struck.
Adelaide man “Kim” (not his real name) used amica during its testing phase after he and his former spouse were told their divorce would cost them $20,000 each in legal fees.
“It was absolutely fabulous … amica helped us create a document that has allowed us to move forward with the care of our kids, which was a godsend,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that people go through this but, at the same time, if there is a third party or a system like amica that helps you come to common ground, that makes the conversation that little bit easier.
“It’s taking a lot of pressure off us when it comes to working out what the next step is.”
National Legal Aid director and project chief Gabrielle Canny said independent research showed 78 per cent of people divorcing were willing to use a service like amica.
“There are almost 50,000 divorces each year in Australia … amica will encourage people to log on instead of lawyering up,” she said.
“Technology isn’t going to replace lawyers, and amica isn’t suitable for all couples but it will ensure people are better informed and better equipped to reduce the number of areas in which they disagree.”
The amica site was created by National Legal Aid and made possible by $3 million in Federal Government funding.
Commonwealth Attorney-General Christian Porter said the Government was committed to improving the family law system to make the system faster, simpler, cheaper and less stressful for couples and children.