Divorce: Statistics, Causes, Consequences, Prevention

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Introduction and Statement of the Problem
Currently in the United States, divorce has always been present in society but more significantly after the Civil War. Today, it is estimated that 40%-50% of married couples divorce and subsequent marriages is even higher (“Marriage and Divorce”). When couples seek divorce, it is merely a formal dissolution of a marriage. Every divorce case is different and must find an agreement on issues they once shared. The couples may need to divide there assets, debt, and child custody. Just because the divorce is over, the partners will continue to have some type of relationship in order to meet with court’s final agreements. The divorce rates started to increase when Ronald Reagan signed the nations’ first no-fault divorce bill in 1969 (Wilcox, 2009). A “no-fault” divorce simply means that neither partner in the relationship does not have to have a valid reason or prove that the other partner did something wrong. Many have used the term “irreconcilable differences” where the couple do not see eye to eye anymore. Shortly after the divorce reform, almost every state had some form of “no-fault” divorce law. Consequently, ever since the reform was approved, the divorce rates and high poverty increased in single-parent homes and the innocent children suffer from this unfortunate experience. There could be many factors for couples seeking divorce: marrying at a very early age, less education and income, cohabitation, premarital pregnancy, coming from a divorced family. People divorce due to lack of commitment, arguing too much, infidelity, marrying at a young age, unrealistic expectation, lack of equality in relationship, lack of preparation for marriage, and abuse. At the San Fernan...

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...may conclude based on the litigants’ stories.
V. Conclusion
Successful marriages can only be down when the couples build a solid foundation of a healthy and long lasting relationship. One can build a foundation by compromising of common set of core value, interests they both share in the long run. Without the foundation, marriages fail to reach the goals or expectations from their partner.
There are many solutions to prevent divorce, and it is possible. Couples need to learn to chose their battles and find any alternative way to solve their differences. Many individuals wish they had tried harder to work through their differences. One goal is to remove the “easy way out” when getting a divorce; thus couples will be forced to work through their problems and the result will be increased numbers of families remaining intact and healthier more stable children.

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