- Half of all couples marrying this year will be divorced within ten years.
- 75% of women and 80% of men remarry within five years of divorcing.
- Second marriages are at greater risk for ending than first marriages.
- 16% of all children are affected by a new divorce each year.
- 70% of all children born in the 1990s will spend time in a single-parent family.
- Beginning in the 1990s more people will be part of second marriages than first marriages.
- Parents with joint custody have a better record of paying child support.
- Parents who mediate divorce agreements comply the most with child support orders.
What do these facts tell us?
Thousands of families each year are impacted by divorce and separation. Children and adults struggle with similar fears and uncertainties as they face the prospect of a change in lifestyle and standard of living. As parents establish separate households, children must learn to cope with having the two most important people in their lives live apart. The tasks of divorce are difficult for everyone, but children need to understand that their parents will always be there for them, loving them and caring for them, despite changes in the family structure. Parents also need to seek support from family members, friends, or professionals when necessary in their efforts to cope with the emotional effects. The better parents are at adjusting to divorce, and the more they are able to keep their children out of parental conflict, the more their children will benefit.
