Is Divorce Different Today?

Marriage rates are at their lowest in the past century, and divorce is slightly less likely today than it was 30 years ago. Even though the divorce rate was rising in the 1970s, the number of children involved in each divorce has been falling since the late 1960s. Fertility and pregnancy control made possible by "the pill" and legalized abortion may help to explain both the recent decline in divorces and a recent rise in out-of-wedlock births.

The dynamics of the family are changing as well as the feelings of and about divorce. No matter society or your feelings about divorce the statistics show the likely hood still is that your marriage for whatever the route cause may end in a divorce.

These causes include the aforementioned rise of the birth control pill; higher incomes for women and greater access to education; and new household labor-saving technologies that make it more likely a marriage today will involve people with "similar incomes and interests" as opposed to individuals with clearly defined and distinctly different domestic and wage earning roles. In particular, they argue that marriages can no longer be characterized as having household specialization and children as the central tenet. These changes mean that couples today have different expectations about the benefits of both forming a union and formalizing that union through marriage.

Many people mistakenly believe that money is a primary cause of divorce. It didn't even make the top ten.

According to the national Center for Health Statistics, the woman files two-thirds of divorce cases. A more amazing statistic is that when the couple are college-educated, divorces initiated by the wife is a whopping 90-percent! What's more interesting that for the past one-hundred years the primary filer has been the woman. The divorce rate began climbing at a drastic rate in the 70s. This statistic correlates with the fact that beginning in 1969, states began adopting "no fault" divorce laws and by 1985, all states had such a law in place.

The "no-fault" divorce allowed a couple to divorce due to irreconcilable differences. Prior to these laws, adultery or extreme cruelty had to be proven for a divorce to be granted.

This may be the reason why many people think that it's no big deal for a woman to go through divorce. The truth is that divorce is extremely painful for all parties involved. Most women do not want a divorce. They took their vows seriously and believed they would be married for life. They want a partner, a friend, a lover and a mate that cherishes them. 

Even though many women work today, they are still expected to be the primary housekeeper and main caregiver of their children. This adds an extreme amount of undue pressure on her. This means that women actually have two full time jobs. In many workplaces, women are still dealing with inequality, watching male counterparts get promotions, as they are passed over time and time again.

At WHYmediate?, Find out if mediation can allow you to resolve Divorce conflicts in a positive learning environment.

WHYmediate? Mediation Services
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Tempe, AZ 85282 
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