Divorce In The United States

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As we have come closer to the end of the millennium, it is been easier to obtain an escape from a broken marriage. There have been many laws concerning divorce enforced in the United States that allow a quicker processing time. These laws, often referred to as “no-fault';, grant a divorce to a couple even if only one spouse applies for it. Marriages can be dissolved easily and for little or no reason. Laws including this no-fault policy should definitely not be enforced. The no-fault attitude towards divorce encourages casual actions in marriages. Studies show that divorce rates have increased 15-25 percent as a result of the no fault divorce laws. Making it easier for divorces to occur can decrease the quality of a marriage. In general all marriages go through bleak times making one partner often think about solace through divorce. Instead of working through the problems in a healthy manner, divorce through the no fault laws are quickly utilized to provide escape. The breakdown of a family can have many repercussions on the individual members with the least involvement. The children involved in a divorce are often times the most impacted victims of a divorce. Children with divorced parents are often left feeling neglected by the parent that has chosen to move out, unloved, and often times burdened with feelings of guilt. The poverty rates of single parented households are alarmingly high, and are often the result of divorce. With all these factors added together, divorce is a dangerous and scarring event in a child’s psyche. Recently, with the no-fault laws, it has been easier to dissolve a marriage for any reason or for no reason at all. In the past, divorces as well as marriages had to occur as an agreement or as a contract of responsibility. Through the no-fault laws, however, marriages can be dissolved by the wishes of only one spouse. Many believe that courts should treat marriages as any other contract and thus a divorce should be considered a breach of a legal agreement. If courts treated business contracts as they treated marriages, and systematically favored the party that wished to withdraw, the direct result would be the collapse or decline in the economy. In conclusion, the lax no-fault laws concerning divorce in our country are contributing to the moral decay of our society and should not be enforced.

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