Chapter 15

The Dissolution of Marriage

Chapter Outline

• Let No One Put Asunder

• Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

• Emotional Divorce and the Emotions of

Divorce

• Divorce but Not the End of the

Relationship

Chapter Outline

• Problems of the Newly Divorced

• Divorce: The Legalities

• Divorce Counseling and Mediation

• Reducing Divorce Rates

• Divorce May Not Be the Answer

Divorce Rates

The crude divorce rate—the ratio of divorces to each 1,000 persons within

the population—is really a better, though less dramatic, measure of marital

stability than the ratio of divorces to marriages in a given year.

The Number of Divorces and Divorce Rates

Year # DivorcesRate/1000 total

population

2003 3.8

2002 4.0

2001 4.0

1998 1,135,000 4.3

1996 1,158,000 4.4

1990 1,175,000 4.7

The Number of Divorces and Divorce Rates

Year # DivorcesRate/1000 total

population

1985 1,172,000 4.9

1980 1,182,000 5.2

1970 773,000 3.7

1960 393,000 2.2

1950 385,000 2.6

1946 610,000 4.3

1940 293,000 2.2

Serial Marriages

Serial marriages: Marrying, divorcing, and marrying again; a

series of legal marriages

Divorce Rates Worldwide

CountryDivorce as a % of all

Marriages

Russia 65

Sweden 64

Finland 56

Britain 53

United States 49

Canada 45

Divorce Rates Worldwide

CountryDivorce as a % of all

Marriages

France 43

Germany 41

Israel 26

Greece 18

Spain 17

Italy 12

Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

1. Most divorcing couples cite personal reasons, such as unhappiness, poor communication, sexual failure, and general dissatisfaction.

2. Americans ask a great deal of modern marriage. High expectations often lead to disappointment and failure.

Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

3. Tied closely to Americans’ high expectations of marriage is the freedom of individuals to make marital choices.

4. Changing gender roles are part of the American interest in the general concept of change and its benefits.

Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

5. Economic independence of women encourages separation and divorce. When a wife had no economic alternatives, she was forced to tolerate an unsatisfactory marriage, in return for economic security.

6. With so many kinds of people and so many beliefs, attitudes, and value systems, family and marriage will naturally mean many and different things to different individuals.

Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

7. The mobility of Americans may contribute. Families that move often may not create support networks.

8. Social upheaval, economic problems, and the general health of the society.

Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

9. The stigma of divorce has largely vanished over the past 30years.

10. Personal inadequacies, failures, and problems that contribute to each individual divorce.

Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

11. A number of risk factors tend to predict marital instability. Those marrying at a young age are more prone to divorce. Premarital pregnancy, children born out of wedlock, parental divorce, and remarriage all relate to a greater probability of divorce.

Emotions of Divorce

1. First, there are clouds of doubt, early

signs that the marriage is getting into

trouble.

2. This is followed by a variety of distancing

behaviors as the couple becomes more

dissatisfied.

Emotions of Divorce

3. One of the partners begins to imagine

living apart, or substituting a new partner

for the old partner.

4. The possibility of divorce is first

mentioned.

5. The appearance of solidarity is broken

before the public.

Emotions of Divorce

6. The decision to divorce is made, usually

after long discussion and much

vacillation.

7. The crisis of actual physical separation

follows.

8. Final severance comes with the actual

divorce.

Emotions of Divorce

9. A period of mental conflict and reconstruction follows the divorce.

10. If children are present, the divorced partners’ relationship may never end, because the problems of coparenting remain.

Types of Child Custody

1. The most common is sole custody. In this case, the children are assigned to

one parent who has sole responsibility for physically raising the children.

2. In joint custody, the children divide their time between the parents, who share the various decisions about their children.

Types of Child Custody

3. In split custody, children are divided between the parents.

This method separates the children from each other but reduces the burden on a parent who might otherwise have sole custody of the children.

4. The court may award custody to someone other than a parent or parents.

Legal terms

• No-fault divorce: Divorce proceeding

that does not place blame for the divorce

on one spouse or the other.

• Reviewable alimony: An award of

alimony that is reviewed periodically and

changed if necessary.

Describing Goals in Behavioral TermsVague Goals Action Goals

Be respectful. You will ask me about my day.

I will compliment you about your work.

Be more loving. You will tell me you love me at least once a week.

I will volunteer to watch the kids so you can go out.

Describing Goals in Behavioral Terms

Vague Goals Action Goals

Be more sexual.

I will initiate sex once a week.

I will suggest we try something different.

You will be more verbal when we make love.

Describing Goals in Behavioral Terms

Vague Goals Action Goals

Be less selfish. You will ask what I want to do on weekends.

I will check with you before making plans.

I will clean up if you make dinner.

Quick Quiz

1. In this custody case, the children are assigned to one parent

a) Joint Custody

b) Sole Custody

c) Split Custody

d) None of these

Answer: b• In sole custody cases, the children are

assigned to one parent.

2. An award decreed by divorce that is reviewed periodically

a) Reviewable alimony

b) Palimony

c) Joint custody

d) Split Custody

Answer: a• Reviewable alimony is an award that

can be reviewed periodically.

3. Which of these are one of the last emotional stages of divorce as

described by the text?

a) Doubt

b) Broken Solidarity

c) Separation

d) Reconstruction

Answer: d• Reconstruction is one of the last

emotional stages of divorce, according to the text.