Posts

Researchers study the impact divorce has on quality of life

As divorce is becoming more common, the effects it can have on a person’s quality of life are becoming better understood. According to a recent study performed by the National Council of Family Relations, over half of all marriages end in divorce. That same study also found that there were 2 million divorces in 2009 across the United States.

The study also showed that the probability of a divorce increases as a marriage gets longer, as well as after a previous divorce. Only 20 percent of marriages fail within the first five years when both parties have not been previously married. This figure increases to 33 percent after 10 years. Statistics are far more pronounced for people on their third marriage. These types of marriages have a 73 percent divorce rate.

According to another study performed by Marie Claire magazine, the quality of life for a woman who has recently gone through a divorce drops by 45 percent. The study asserts that women take more damage during a divorce than their male counterparts, due to the challenges of managing a new life with less money, additional childcare responsibilities and the difficulty of returning to dating.

Yet another study performed by the Institute of Social and Behavioral Research at Iowa State University indicated that divorce might have long-term effects on a woman’s health. Physical illnesses were found in 37% more divorced women a decade after the divorce than in married women. In addition, lingering mental illnesses may occur immediately following the divorce. Iowa State researchers pointed to relatively meager job opportunities and social isolation as two of the primary reasons for long-term mental and physical illnesses.

Fortunately, many marriage experts believe that most women make major improvements only 10 weeks after a divorce, despite the immediate financial and emotional hardships. There is no doubt that divorce can be a very stressful experience. Careful planning and preparation are required to minimize the potential adverse effects of a divorce. Fortunately, people going through divorce do not have to go through the process alone. Experienced divorce attorneys are available to help.

Source: ABC News, “Women Take Biggest Hit in Divorce, Say Experts,” Susan Donaldson James, 2/4/2011

/by

Study reveals fighting style, not fighting itself, may lead to divorce

Many people assume that screaming, throwing things and other explosive fighting styles are most likely to lead to divorce. A study recently conducted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor indicates that there are other fighting styles that are far more likely to lead to divorce.

The study, which was conducted over the course of 16 years, followed 373 couples and started with each couple’s first year of marriage in order to determine how various fighting styles influenced the chance of divorce. In addition, the study found crucial differences in the fighting styles of men and women.

According to the study, explosive fights with screaming and tossed objects are actually less likely to lead to eventual divorce than fights in which one partner attempts to calmly analyze the situation and the other partner quickly withdraws. This fighting pattern is dangerous, says the study, because the withdrawal signifies a lack of interest or investment in the marriage to the more analytical partner.

The lowest divorce rates were found in those couples that both used an analytical, objective attitude during fights. Further, the study showed that men typically use more constructive methods during fights as compared to women. However, women were found to use increasingly constructive methods over the course of a marriage, while men’s fighting styles largely remained the same throughout.

Interestingly, the study also found that approximately 21% of wives and 29% of husbands reported a total absence of fighting during the first year of marriage. However, 46 percent of these couples had divorced by the 16th year of the study and fighting in the first year did not affect the likelihood of divorce.

Source: Kansas City Star, “Study: It’s your fight style, not the fight, that may lead to divorce,” Amber DiNenna, 1/28/2011

/by

Divorce rates expected to rise during economic recovery

An increase in the rate of divorce in Wisconsin and across the United States may be directly related to a rebound in the economy, according to recent statistical studies and family law attorneys who are now seeing more couples choose to end marriages. During the recession, the overall number of divorces dropped dramatically nationwide. Now that financial conditions have begun improving and stabilizing, more married partners are calling it quits.

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) says America, with the world’s highest rate-of-divorce, saw far fewer legal split-ups during the recession years. In 2008, divorces dropped 24 percent. In 2009, divorces were down 57 percent. This is not an unusual pattern, according to the AAML, which said bad economic times traditionally make couples less certain about major changes.

The recession has affected the rate of marriage as well as the rate of divorce. Fewer recession-affected couples choose to marry, have children and break up. A Pew Research poll, taken at the tail end of 2009, found that couples, younger than 35 years of age, decided to wait for better times to get married. Some 15 percent opted to stay engaged a little longer rather than wed and 14 percent held off adding a new child to their families. In addition, many couples who wished to end a marriage decided to stick it out a little longer for financial reasons.

Many couples, who thought about breaking up during the financial downturn, hesitated to separate because of worries over how the economic crisis would affect the division of marital assets. The costs associated with divorcing, including finding separate residences, and falling property values, caused a reluctance to split up.

Source: AFP, “Rising US divorce rate signals economic recovery,” Virginie Montet, 4/29/2011

/by