Divorce in the News

Parent’s Divorce May Increase Men’s Stroke Risk

A new study suggests that boys whose parents divorce may be at increased risk of stroke later in life.

In the study, men whose parents had divorced before they were 18 were three times more likely to suffer a stroke compared with those whose parents did not divorce.

The results held even after the researchers took into account factors that influence the risk of stroke, including smoking habits, exercise, obesity, alcohol use and health care coverage.

Divorce Forces Some to Learn How to Handle Budget, Debt

Many times during marriage one spouse handles finances more than the other. However, once a divorce is settled spouses with little or no budget experience are forced to learn how to save and deal with debt.

A number of divorcees have turned to credit counseling firms to help dissolve any debt that has occurred. Wanda Strickfaden of Improve Credit Solutions said that many customers need someone to sit down and create a budget for them. She also notes that many women are uninvolved when managing their money.

One in Four Divorces “Inefficient”

A new study by an economics professor found that in approximately one in four divorces, the individuals involved might have been happier staying married-producing what he calls “inefficient” divorces.

The study looked at the impact of spousal cooperation, conflict, and divorce in marriage on the happiness of the spouses. The inefficiency of divorce given the characteristics of the couples was then calculated according to age, education, race, etc. as they related to happiness in marriage, separation, and divorce.

The ISU researcher found that eliminating separation period requirements may decreases the conflict rate between spouses by 9.2 percent of its baseline level and increase the divorce rate by 4.0 percent. He also calculated that perfect child support enforcement may decrease the frequency of conflict by 2.7 percent and divorce by 21.2 percent. It also reduces the incidence of “inefficient” divorces.

Spouses who are in full agreement generally have an easier divorce process. However, disputes over child custody are normally the greatest source of conflict in Thailand divorces.