VIENNA, Austria — In a city where “I do” often turns into “I want out,” a fair for those wanting to untie the knot seemed a sure hit.
But journalists easily outnumbered those looking for advice on how to end their marriages Saturday, the first day of what was billed as the world’s first divorce fair.
Detectives were ready to catch a spouse in the act, mediators to help ease the pain of separation, a laboratory to conduct paternity tests, and, of course, lawyers to do everything else.
Vienna would seem a good venue for the event, with its 66 percent divorce rate, near the top for European cities. Austria has a rate of more than 50 percent.
So where were all those in struggling marriages? Only a few dozen clients meandered through the two conference rooms of a downtown luxury hotel in the space of an hour.
“Too many cameras,” said Berhard Spernern, one of the few at the event hoping for a divorce. “I think that’s part of the problem — a lot of people don’t want to be seen or be photographed here.”
Most of the 16 firms at the fair offered standard divorce information — legal services, private investigations, mediation and conflict management. But some catered to more unusual needs.
“Many people come to us when they are already in the middle of divorce proceedings,” said Susanna Haas, whose $600 DNA analysis promises to end bickering about why the little one does not look like daddy. “Proof of parenthood can play an important role in divorces.”
In the next room, Isabella Stozek, whose “Hairdreams” offered hair extensions, highlights and other regimens, said makeovers were important to women looking for a new look to accompany their new start.
“They want to leave their old lives behind, and how better to do that than with these?” she says, gesturing at a display of wigs, ponytails and braids.
At a stand close by, brochures for “MyDates” promised those interested a chance to “meet 25 singles in two hours.”
Even the Roman Catholic Church got into the mix, with a stand to offer advice for newly single parents.
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