A new consulting trade is brewing in south China's Shenzhen City for couples seeking to end their marriages.

The firms provide marriage evaluation, extramarital affairs consulting and other services related to divorce.

A chief officer from one consulting company says that their aim is to help some "dead marriages" be over with quickly and painlessly as possible.

Most of the consulting companies are owned by investors from Hong Kong, and charge their clients 200 yuan, more than US$24, per hour.

Shenzhen is a city with a high divorce rate, just like Hong Kong. Pressure from work and daily life leave young people little time to think completely through marriage before they make the commitment, resulting in many couples breaking up shortly after getting married.

(CRI June 30, 2005)