They say that 50% of marriages end in divorce, but studies today say otherwise. The only resemblance of truth this adage had was in the late 20th century, where 48% of American couples ended in divorce. But nowadays, studies have shown that millennials are waiting longer to get married and staying in marriages longer than before, thus decreasing marriage rates and divorce rates. And in 2018, only 2.9 per 10,000 people ended in divorce, down from the 3.6 per 1000 people in 2010.
Alas, even though divorce rates are down, divorce cases still haven’t stopped. Couples need to take account of their children and themselves. But how? And what exactly does divorce bring to the family?
Problems that may arise in divorces
A particular divorce case can get held up in court due to problems that may stem from either party. Some of these are:
Property division.
This is where one joint property will either be split or given to one person. The best practice would be dividing the property with both couple’s supervision. If either of the parties won’t agree, a judge is forced to decide for them.
Child support.
One of the problems here is when either of the couples refuses to pay the specified amount of child support. When this happens, a child support lawyer may be necessary. The lawyer would negotiate on the client’s behalf, calculate the anticipated support payments, and represent the client at court.
Alimony.
Alimony is the payment one spouse may need to give the other to maintain the receiver’s quality of living. Alimonies are usually temporary and only continue until the receiver remarries or when their financial situation changes.
The effects of divorce on the emotional and physical well-being of children
Children with divorced parents mature differently. It all depends on how the divorce was managed and how their custodial parent guided them. Children from broken families usually experience more emotional trauma, speech impediments, asthma, etc., than children with intact families.
Teenage girls with single-parent and blended families are eight times more likely to become pregnant than their peers with parents who remain married. Children with married parents are less likely to be abused or neglected, and those with divorced parents are physically abused and neglected twice as much.
How divorce could be made easier for everyone
The following are some suggestions to ease the pain of divorce.
- Couples can’t expect any guarantees on what assets they will remain with once the divorce is settled. Therefore, couples going through a divorce should review their investments and split properties before the case begins.
- While the divorce is still ongoing, the parents should adjust to being a divorced parent and invest extra time in parenting.
- Communication is vital when divorce comes into play in a family. This is particularly true for families with children old enough to understand the situation. Being straightforward about the situation could work better if the child is mature enough. This minimizes dealing with false hopes and prepares them to be mentally strong enough when the divorce is ongoing.
- Divorced couples and their children could benefit from psychological help. Starting therapy in young children could make their transition to the new situation better and prevent future psychological problems.
- For older children of parents getting a divorce, they shouldn’t blame anyone, especially themselves. Divorces stir unwarranted emotions from anyone, and it’s easy for either of the involved to get angry or bottle up their feelings inside. Being open and honest with their parents will help them get used to the situation faster.
It’s clear to everyone that divorce is a complicated process throughout. From the start of the divorce to court hearings to the emotional impacts of divorce on children, divorce’s aftereffects are easy to see. This doesn’t mean that divorcing is the wrong decision, though. After all, splitting up is better compared to being unhappy with their life. The essential factor here is that parents should be responsible for communicating throughout to keep their situation from spiraling.
