SOLICITORS in Oxford offering 50 per cent off their fees for divorces in the New Year have been condemned by the Bishop of Oxford.

Hine Solicitors, in Banbury Road, Summertown, is offering a half price package, reducing its fees from £800 to £400 to get more clients through the divorce door in the fall-out from Christmas.

But last night the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev John Pritchard, said it was tacky to profit from people’s misery.

Bishop John said it would be more appropriate to offer half-price mediation to encourage couples to make their marriages work.

Family solicitor Katie Lowndes defended the offer and said the firm was not encouraging people to get divorced.

She said there was often a rise in the number of divorces in January, adding: “I don’t think our promotion would increase or encourage people to get divorced.

“I think if a couple is going through difficulties and they have decided together that they want to have a divorce, then of course they would probably be looking at going to a solicitor in January any way.

“They really need to be sure that it’s the right decision for them, because divorce is a big life-changing decision and it shouldn’t be taken light-heartedly.”

The firm is advertising the “50 per cent discount divorce promotion” in bright red on its website and has also printed leaflets to draw in clients.

But Bishop John said: “It’s a bit tacky isn’t it, to go and try to make a profit out of other people’s misery?

“I think couples in distress could do without that kind of encouragement.

“I do think it’s a bit disingenuous to say that the solicitors are not trying to encourage people towards divorce, if they are not trying to encourage by a half-price offer why offer it?

“Marriage is precious and by far the majority of people really do look for a life-long partnership and really do want it to work.”

Mother-of-one Lucy Dunning, 26, of Abingdon, recently married her long-term boy friend Matthew.

She said: “Divorce can be messy and expensive so it is a viable offer for solicitors to be making. However, it is a sad state of affairs.”