Lately, on the State Bar of Michigan's Family Law Listserv, we've been discussing the practice of monitoring filings in the county clerk's office by certain lawyers who then send out a letter advising the defendant that his/her spouse has filed for divorce. Often this letter arrives prior to the time that the spouse has been served. In cases where domestic violence is a factor, this could lead to harm for the filing spouse and perhaps also for the minor children.
The consensus of opinion among the 900+ lawyers who participate in this discussion group is that it's tacky and should not be permitted. Most believe that filings should not be disclosed by the court clerk until a notice of service of process is filed.
Speaking of tacky, what do you think about this marketing technique? I personally find it offensive. Since I don't have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find clients, however, I don't see the lawyer involved as being a competitor. But really, how low can you go?
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