Cover to Lihun Zhao Daoshi (Seeking a Counselor for Divorce)  Photo: Li Hao/GT

There are many things that you never expect to happen in your life, and divorce is probably one of them. But if a divorce does happen, where do you go for help? What preparations do you need to make things as painless as possible?

For this question, the recently published novel Lihun Zhao Daoshi (Seeking a Counselor for Divorce) by Yan Qiao seems to try and provide some answers.

While many people may have heard about couples seeing a marriage counselor, Yan's book is probably the first place you'll hear about a divorce counselor. The first book in China all about a divorce company, the novel examines traditional and modern Chinese outlooks on marriage by delving into a variety of divorce cases that the fictional company gets involved in. By answering practical questions, the author attempts to explore various methods, even some imaginatively absurd ones, that can lead to happy divorce for those eager to escape an embattled marriage.

Experimental outlook



Featuring a strange assortment of people and ideas, opening the book is like walking into a laboratory where they experiment on divorce cases.

Full of black humor, the novel follows Li Desheng, a Chinese psychologist returning home from the US, as he operates Zhu Ni Xingfu (wish you happiness) - a company that deals solely with divorce cases.

Li gathers together an unconventional team: a lawyer, a professional repo man, a head of a traditional neighborhood committee and even an astrologer to deal with the complicated relationships between men and women. Seeking to guide couples through a happy and harmonious divorce, the group joins forces with each member using his or her skills to help everyone reach their goal.

While divorce in China can be a particularly painful and tiring experience, the members of Li's company come up with innovative and imaginative ways to help couples reach a decision about whether they truly want to end their marriage such as suggesting a "trial divorce on WeChat" or implementing a "psychological divorce."

Through these different cases, the author is recommending a new way for readers to approach marriage and divorce. "Just like how you call 110 (China's emergency response number) in an emergency, this company is the 110 for divorce issues," he wrote in the preface to the book.

Changing views



By painting a vivid picture of the mingled joys and sorrows of marriage, the novel faces the social reality of China's increasing divorce rate head on.

According to Yan, he came up with the idea for the book two years ago when an editor friend told him that almost all her classmates were divorced. "And I realized that about eight of my friends had gotten a divorce too," Yan told the Global Times. "In China, particularly in first- and second-tier cities, divorce has become the biggest reality rather than being some fictional story. This wave of divorce cannot be neglected."

"So I decided to write something funny to let people see this reality. I spent two years collecting all kinds of material," explained Yan, adding that some of the cases are direct from real life. For example, one of his female friends got a divorce because her mother-in-law thought her face was unlucky.

In 2013, a total of 3.5 million couples got divorced in China, an increase of 12.8 percent year on year, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs last June. As a matter of fact, the divorce rate has been on the rise for the past 10 years.

Behind these figures is people's changing attitude toward divorce, which is also reflected in Yan's book. "People are changing their minds. Marriage is not as sacred as it was before. There is a large proportion of people getting married and divorced quickly to the point marriage has become like fast food," Yan noted.

Things certainly have changed. Several decades ago, talk about divorce was something to be avoided while a long-term marriage was regarded as part of traditional virtues. Today, however, divorce is no longer a big deal and is regarded as quite common. While people used to ask friends that they haven't seen in a while "Have you gotten married yet?" now people joke "Have you gotten divorced yet?"

"In the past, people would treat divorce as a bad thing. But now, more and more people are beginning to realize that if divorce can help them get out of a painful marriage and allow them another chance at happiness, it can be a good thing," said Yan.

The better option 



While the divorce business in Yan's novel may seem a bit far-fetched, as it is an entire production line in and of itself, from mediation to the evaluation of marriage to legal support, in reality companies specializing in divorce cases have begun to emerge in several regions in China, although many are still half-underground. 

Yan touched on the difficulties such companies face when it comes to their survival. Even though divorce has become common, it's still strange for many to turn to a company for help. In China, there's a saying: "It's better to demolish 10 temples than demolish a single marriage," as such these companies are often seen as "demolishing" people's marriages.

"Actually, divorce counseling should be a diversified service. It might include psychological consultations or provide exits for emotional pressures or supply encouragement," Yan explained. "It helps people face the facts and get over things."

"In traditional community society, there used to be pressure from neighbors, who would also play the role of mediator. But in modern cities, this function has been lost. They may turn to friends, but will worry about privacy. So a divorce agency as the go-to-place for marriage problems is a necessity," Yan added.

Previously, people would only think of going to court when it came to divorce. But for Zhang Yang, an experienced divorce lawyer in Guangdong Province, when it comes to divorce cases, court judgments are usually too distant and often leave many unresolved problems.

"There are too many cases that finally leave a couple hating each other which results in more cases," Zhang said. He used custody battles as an example. If one parent with custody prevents the other parent from seeing their child, then the other parent will refuse to pay child support, which gradually leads to even more resentment.

 "So it is important for them to get counseling so problems can be solved and people can become more happy," noted Zhang. He explained that in China some courts have already realize the significance of this problem.

"The court in the Haizhu district of Guangzhou has already set aside a room for emotional counseling for this purpose," Zhang said. "This is a good sign."

"Though still a new thing, companies like this are more easily accepted by young people, who make up the majority of divorcees in China. They may become a new trend in China."