Michigan lawyer offers sweet deal on Valentine's Day: Free divorce

A Michigan attorney plans to offer one client a special on Valentine's Day: a free divorce.

Attorney Walter H. Bentley III told ABC News he got the idea when one of his students in a night school class he teaches invited him to a party. She was celebrating her divorce.

Bentley's website gives contest rules: "The winner will be chosen based on the most compelling and convincing story as to why they should be the winner. The divorce is limited to an uncontested divorce with no or minimum child custody issues." It's limited to Michigan residents. The deadline for applying is 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 12.

Nearly 500 people have applied so far, says Bentley.

He will narrow down the list by picking the stories he feels have the most impact and they will make their decision.

"We're looking for someone truly struggling to move forward," he said. "Maybe someone who's overcome some obstacle —a foreclosure, say. Maybe they're struggling to make ends meet, and they don't have enough money for a divorce."

A survey in 2011 by Avvo.com , a service that matches attorneys with clients, found a strong uptick in the number of people seeking divorce advice around Valentine's Day.