On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me.... A Divorce Gift Voucher?

Lloyd Platt & Company, a London law firm, is offering what could easily be described as the most unusual "must have" gift of the season. For £125 you can give your true love a divorce gift voucher good for one session with an attorney to receive advice pertaining to your potential divorce or possible alternatives.

Ms Lloyd Platt, senior partner at the firm, told the Telegraph: "We hope through the vouchers that we can offer clients all the practical options available to them - divorce being only one of the options." The firm has reportedly sold over 50 vouchers in the run up to Christmas.

Lloyd Platt & Company may have stumbled into a gold mine for the New Year; Family law practices across the UK are reporting a spike in new consultations to discuss filing for divorce. One UK law firm expects January to be one of the busiest periods ever recorded for divorce. Family law specialist, Shelley Hesford, told the Guardian: "People have been battling to keep marriages intact, but many have simply cracked and crumbled under the relentless pressure of recession. People see the Christmas break as a hiatus in their lives during which they can end one chapter and try to start the next."

Quickie Divorce Ltd, a firm specializing in divorce in the fast lane, has had to triple their workforce over the past year to keep up with demand. Their director, Adrian Hill told Wales Online: "Last year we had 15,000 people request one, whereas this year we've had around 25,000 - that's an 80% increase. Just a year ago we had five members of staff, now we have 14 just to cope with the demand." Their success has been credited to the emulation of celebrities.

The divorce gift vouchers have not been without criticism, some of which includes treating divorce like buying a handbag and an "ambulance chasing" technique for divorce lawyers.

Despite the criticism the vouchers may just be a hit, they are catching on with everyone from friends using them as a suggestion to wives husbands and mistresses. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few mother in laws giving them as a present to their married children.

It appears that the divorce gift voucher can take its rightful place at the top of the list of unusual Christmas gifts. Some other contenders are: Squirrel Feet Earrings, the Fetus Cookie Cutter, and the Decapitated Teddy Bear Lamp.