"Divorce Court Can Get Mean & Ugly"

Getting married is entering into a contract...  

But it’s probably the one contract that’s the easiest to break because divorce has made it easy for husband and wife to walk out when they go through an unhappy period in their life, albeit temporary unhappiness.

John Crouch, former Executive Director of Americans for Divorce Reform, laments that marriage, the most important economic contract of our lives, is no longer legally protected.  

Lawyers will fight tooth and nail to protect corporations from breaches in their contract relations. And lawyers will go all out to help you enforce agreements between you and your landlord, between you and your mechanic and your doctor, but they can’t prevent you from breaking up with your spouse.

In fact, the average lawyer will even counsel you to break up your marriage and will then discuss the division of your property as the next logical step.

Crouch also says that marriage is the only contract anyone can break, at any time, and not be held responsible for harming it.

“So getting married in America is like doing business in Russia. Everything is up for grabs, everything is constantly renegotiated, and nobody has to keep their word. I think that makes for a lot of unhappy marriages.” ...John Crouch, Executive Director.  Americans for Divorce Reform, Arlington, Virginia.

"The Dollar Costs of Divorce..."

From a cost perspective alone, divorce can be economically damaging not only for the state but also for couples.

Consider these figures:

• US divorces cost the country $33 billion annually or $312.00 per household;
   

• The average divorce in America costs state and federal governments $30,000 in direct and indirect costs. Direct costs to the state include child support enforcement, Medicaid payments, temporary assistance to needy families fund (TANF), food stamps and public housing assistance.
   

• To the couple, divorce costs about $18,000 and this would include lost work productivity, relocation costs and legal fees that vary immensely, depending on the nature of the divorce and the situation of the couple. ...David G. Schramm, Utah State University, USA

"The Emotional Costs of Divorce..."

What about the argument that divorce makes people happier after they leave a sad marriage? Studies appear to suggest that this is a myth, because evidence points to the contrary.

According to the Institute of American Values, when divorced couples were rated with couples who stayed married on 12 parameters of psychological well-being, it was discovered that on average, couples who divorced were no happier five years after the divorce than were equally unhappily married couples who stayed together. ...Katherine Heine, Cox News Service. americanvalues.org

There are other reasons why divorced individuals don’t end up happier:

• Depression symptoms do not necessarily diminish with divorce, nor did divorce raise people’s self-esteem;

• Unhappy marriages were less common than unhappy spouses;

• Staying married did not typically trap unhappy spouses in violent relationships. ...Katherine Heine

Ms. Heines also raised the litigation aspect in most divorces. She said that a significant number of married people usually want to settle their divorce with the least possible hassle, but divorce lawyers are an another species to be reckoned with. They come up with arguments to justify getting into World War III, and its to the divorce attorney’s benefit to delay and drag out the paper work.

For divorcing couples who become emotionally and financially spent, is the courtroom drama really all that worth it? Couldn’t couples just talk about their differences without third parties who are in it to line their pockets?

Top Divorce Attorney Rats Out His Profession's Dirty Secrets...Click the Link: Attorney Rat Fink

Coming In the next section of: "Love & Marriage... Without Divorce"

• "Is A 'Painless' Divorce Possible?..."

• "Divorce and Children..."

Click Here To Go To Next Section

While perfect love affairs are supposedly made in heaven, they're lived out here in our imperfect world. And my friend, therein lies the rub...

Most of us are just a little shy on that 'perfect' part, aren't we?

The staff here at Lazy Dude Publishers hope the content on this simple web site will help you do a tad better with attainment of the 'perfect' part...

Until next time, may the luck & happiness of true love, and the wisdom to recognize them, go with you...

Peace,
E R Thorpe: Publisher

Disclaimer: The information herein is not meant to be taken as legal advice. The Publishers are not suggesting you follow any references, resources, strategies or methods, either implicit or implied, found herein or on any web page located at any referenced web site when you're making decisions.  

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