“To get divorced, you can’t just simply fill out a form that says ‘I’m divorced.’ You have to go to court and a judge has to approve the divorce,” says Divorce Corp’s Joe Sorge. “Breaking up is traumatic on its own, nevermind having to go to court and appear before a judge.”

Sorge argues that because the legal code to get a divorce is so complex, nearly all respective parties have to hire expensive lawyers and pay legal fees that make the average non-contested divorce cost between $10,000 and $20,000. A contested divorce can run well over $50,000.

“It’s the fourth most common cause of bankruptcy in the United States,” says Sorge.

Sorge sat down with Reason TV’s Tracy Oppenheimer to outline some of these institutional problems and possible resolutions that he addresses in his documentary and accompanying book, both titled Divorce Corp.

About 8 minutes.

Produced by Tracy Oppenheimer. Camera by Zach Weissmueller and Alexis Garcia.

Go to http://reason.com/reasontv/2014/04/23… for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV’s YouTube Channel for notifications when new material goes live.