Presented By:Elizabeth Waters

Laura WhiteBeth Cundiff Liz Wosczyna

Misty Emmons

Topics Covered

• Reasons Why People Get Divorced.

• Consequences Of Divorce On Husband and Wife.

• Effects Of Divorce On Children.• The Law And Divorce In North Carolina.

• Divorce In Other Cultures.

Statistics On Divorce

• Over 1 million divorces occur annually in the U.S. (National Center For Health Statistics)

• It is becoming easier to obtain a divorce

• 25% of college freshmen are from divorced families

Couples Most Likely to Choose Divorce

• Teen marriages

• having divorced parents

• non-religious couples

• pre-marriage cohabitation

• alcoholic spouse

•Having a seriously

child

•physical illness

•depression

•low income

More Examples

• Not a high school graduate

• second marriages

• veterans

• Lack of approval from parents/ in-laws

• age differences

• interracial marriages

Reasons For Divorce

• Because almost 70% of women are employed, they are not dependent on their husbands and can divorce if they are unhappy.

• Now that people have new ways to meet emotional needs, there are fewer reasons to keep the family together.

• There are more liberal divorce laws.

• Priests and clergy are more accepting of divorce.

• Divorce is now more common so divorce seems normal now and there is less stigma.

• Happiness and individualistic values are more important than family values.

• Marriage is not seen as permanent from the beginning.

Smaller, Less Common Reasons

• Less interest from spouse after marriage

• Couples do not know how to resolve conflict

• Physical or philosophical changes

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Wives Husbands

• 20% of wives and between 15-35% of husbands have an extramarital relationship.

•Spouses tire of each other

•One spouse has an extramarital relationship

Alternatives to Divorce

• Annulment• Separation

-Formal: Involves a lawyer.-Informal: Doesn’t involve a lawyer,

more common.• Desertion

Spouse walks out and breaks off all contact with their family.

Emotional & Psychological Consequences

• What is a Divorce?• What do men and women, both,

experience after divorce?• How does divorce effect men?• How does divorce effect women?

Financial Consequences

• Financial Consequences for Men.

• Financial Consequences for Women

• How they compare and contrast

Stages Of Loss After Divorce

• Stage 1: Shock and Numbness

• Stage 2: Denial• Stage 3:

Acceptance• Stage 4:

Renewal

Behaviors Associated with Successful Divorce

• Meditate rather than litigate

• Co-parent with your ex-spouse

• Take some responsibility for the divorce

• Learn from the divorce

• Create positive thoughts

• Avoid alcohol and other drugs

• Relax without drugs

More of the Same

• Engage in aerobic exercise

• Engage in fun activities

• Continue interpersonal connections

• Let go of the ex-partners

• Allow time to heal

Children and Divorce

• Sense of loss

• Sense of failure in interpersonal relationships

• Beginning of difficult transition in new family lifestyle

Initial ResponseA. Disturbing News

B. Parents choice of conveying the news

1. Should be comforting

2. Provide clear and rational explanation.

C. Overwhelming feelings of loss for the child.

1. Loss of parent

2. Interruption of daily routine

3. Disruption of the continuity of their family.

Responses to Divorce

• A series of five steps:

1. Denial

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance•Somatic Disturbances

•Wide Range of responses

1.Due to anger

2. Due to gender

3. Due to temperament

Development of a Single-Parent Family:

• Limited time or permanent lifestyle

• Stressful situation

Conflict Following Divorce:

•Conflict doesn’t end with divorce

•Custody and visitation

Changes in Parenting

• Conflict is a disruption• Inconsistent discipline• Less affectionate• Difficulty in controlling

children• Communication breech

Conclusion• Positive relationships maintained with both

parents.

• Parents need to be there to let the child know that they are loved and offer them emotional support.

•Visitation and Custody

The Law And Divorce In North Carolina

• Grounds For Divorce Under N.C. Law

• Grounds For Annulment

• Separation of Property, Custody, Visitation, and Child Support

Grounds For Divorce In North Carolina

1. If and when the husband and wife have lived separate and apart for one year.

2. If, as a result of the incurable insanity of one of the marriage partners, the husband and wife have lived separate and apart for three consecutive years.

GROUNDS FOR ANNULMENT

•What is Annulment? It is the declaration that the

marriage never existed.•How’s That Different from

Divorce?With a divorce, the marriage

still existed, but now is over.

SOME GROUNDS FOR ANNULMENT IN N.C.

• Marriage between any two people nearer of kin than first cousins, or between double first cousins.

• Marriage between any person under 16 years old and another person.

• Marriage performed by someone not authorized to do so.

• If one of the partners had a spouse living at the time.• If one of the partners was impotent at the time of the marriage.• Marriage of partners either of whom is incapable of contracting from want of will or

understanding.• Pregnancy of wife by another man at the time of the marriage without knowledge of

her husband.

The Catholic Church

• 3 years

• The church’s marriage tribunal handles Annulments.

• A panel of judges reviews the case.

• Background info.

• Four witness

• Fee

• Questionnaire

Info. On Annulment

• Most are psycho-social in nature & revolve around degrees of maturity & understanding, attitude, opinions, & beliefs.

• Ones similar to NC Law.

• Marital Consent• Abide by Law• Never

Consummated• Monastic Life• Pauline Privilege• Petrine Privilege

Reasons:

Other Stuff•Division of Property: mostly

equal.•Custody: mostly with mother.•Visitation: With Mother, With

Father, or Joint.•Child Support•Alimony

Custody

• % of placement of children in Custody Cases.

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Father

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Other

Divorce in Other Cultures

Japan:• divorce in Japan rarely happens• A man or woman who is

divorced is known as a batsu-ichi, or one time failure.

• If divorced twice, called a batsu-ni, or two time failure.

India• Divorce rarely happens here

because most marriages are arranged.

• This makes marriages more reliable.• Women don’t have any say in

whether or not they want a divorce.• A man can divorce if the woman is

unable to bear a son.

Ancient Mesopotamia

• Women had far fewer privileges than men.

• Woman’s place was in the home & failure to fulfill expected duties where grounds for divorce.

The Code Of Hammurabi

• If a woman was not able to bear children, her husband could divorce her, but he had to return her dowry to her family.

• If a woman tried to leave home to engage in business, thus neglecting her house, her husband could divorce her and didn’t have to repay her dowry.

• If a woman neglected her house she could not only be divorced, but could be drowned as well.

• If a woman was divorced without good reason, she received the dowry back.• A woman could seek divorce and get her dowry back if her husband was unable to

show that she had done anything wrong.

Divorce and ReligionCatholicism

• Divorce not accepted

• Priest has right to refuse to marry two people if they have previously been divorced.

• In ancient times, if someone wanted a divorce (usually the king) had to be approved by the Pope.

• If the Pope didn’t grant the request for a divorce and the couple obtained one anyway, their divorce was considered illegal.

• If a man or woman remarried after an unrecognized divorce, they were considered adulterous and could be executed.

The End