Divorce In Canada

By: Angel, Jackson, Alona, Ivana and Jason.

Introduction

▷On average, 150,000 couples get married in Canada per year.

▷Did you know that the divorce rate sits just below 50%?

▷That means that almost HALF of all marriages end in divorce.

Divorce in Canada▷Stats and Facts

▷Causes

▷Different types of divorce

▷Impact on males and females

1.Stats and Facts

Let’s start with the statistics and facts surrounding divorce.

Brief History

▷In 1968, the Divorce Act in Canada was passed

Gave the federal parliament the jurisdiction to regulate divorce

Expanded the grounds of divorce

▷Divorce was uncommon until after WW2

Only NS, NB and BC had divorce courts prior to WW1

Stats and Facts

Divorce Rates

▷Divorce rates increased dramatically between 1968 and 1985, after the Divorce Act and its amendment in 1985, were passed

▷Since then, divorce rates have plateaued, as numbers have minorly fluctuated throughout the years

Stats and Facts

Statistics▷1 in 2 marriages end in

divorce.

▷In 2008, there were exactly 72,229 divorces

▷The median age that men divorce at is 44

▷The median age that women divorce at is 41

▷The majority of divorces (24.6%) end between the 5-9th year of marriage

2.Causes

What causes most divorces?

Causes

The top 5 reasons for divorce:▷Different values/interests▷Abuse: Physical and emotional▷Alcohol and drugs▷Infidelity▷Career-related conflict

Exchange theory perspective – when the costs are bigger than the benefits, divorce is most likely to occur

Causes

Factors affecting compatibility lead to a greater risk of divorce. This includes:

▷Dissimilar backgrounds (intermarriages)

▷Teenage marriage▷Pregnant bride▷Low socio-economic status▷Limited education▷Presence of stepchildren

Additional causes

▷ Not willing to work hard enough on their marriage

▷ Lack of communication skills

▷ High or unmet expectations

▷ Lack of individual identity

▷ Finances (lack of compatibility towards shared money)

▷ Getting married for the wrong reasons such as for money only

▷ Falling out of love as individuals change in time

▷ Parenting style differences

3. Types of Divorce

The different types, methods and variations of divorce.

Contested▷Couples do not agree▷Disagreements can be

about divorce itself, or aspects of the divorce

▷These aspects or terms can be custody, access, support, property division, etc

▷Lawyers must be retained and courts must be involved

.

Types of Divorce

Uncontested▷Spouses agree

about divorce and terms

▷They sign a separation agreement

▷Quicker processes than contested divorces

Annulment▷An annulment is a legal procedure which cancels a

marriage between a man and a woman. Legally, it declares that the marriage never existed.

▷You can get an annulment in Canada, based on criteria:.

Types of Divorce

1. If you’ve married someone who was already married and you did not know that when you married

2. “Shotgun” weddings can be annulled.

3. If you don’t have the mental capacity to understand what a marriage is

4. If you marry someone who is too closely related to you

5. If you married under the age of 18 without your parents’ consent, you may be able to get an annulment.

6. If you did not know that the ceremony you were involved in was a real marriage ceremony, you may be able to get an annulment.

4. Impact on Males &

Females

How does divorce impact both genders differently?

Financial Impact

▷Dividing assets between spousal and child supports payments

▷Can result in financial stress

.

Impact on Males

.

Emotional Impact

▷ Divorce affects men more negatively than women

▷ On average, 23% of men are left devastated, whereas with women the figure was lower at 20%

▷ Men were more likely to take time off from work (8% vs 6%) as well as being more likely to be unable to work as well as usual (13% vs 10%).

▷ More women will spend more of their time with friends (51% vs 38%), while men are more likely to turn to alcohol (33% to 23%) or casual sex (23% vs 12%).

▷ More than two years after a divorce, 41% of men were still sad about the failure of their marriage; for women the figure was only 33%.

▷ Divorced and unmarried men have mortality rates up to 250% higher than married men.

▷ Leads to trust issues in other relationships

▷ After two years, 15% of men remarried, while only 5%of women remarried.

Impact on Females

The Facts:

60% of people under

poverty guidelines

are divorced women and

children.

90% of divorced mothers

have custody of

their children.

65% of divorced mothers

receive no child

support.

Impact on Females

Financial Impacts▷ Without husband's salary, women will have less money to

cover bills and household expenses. ▷ The average divorced woman has less money than the

average married woman

Emotional Impacts▷ Divorce may leave a woman feeling hurt, lonely and unhappy▷ Women may bear the scars of the broken relationship for a

long time▷ Mistrust▷ Divorced women have a higher psychological and mental

distress levels than married women

Impact on Females

Taking Control:▷The first few years after divorce are a

time of significant personal growth, with greater independence and more personal choices

▷Decision maker .

IN CONCLUSION…

▷Rate of marriage in Canada is declining

▷In today’s society, the “traditional” portrait of a family is being transformed

▷Same sex couples, cohabitation, single parenting, etc.

▷Unfortunately, divorce rates are increasingly high, and can be caused by many factors within a relationship

▷Hard process, both partners are affected

Thank you.