Research on marriage trends suggests a U- shaped pattern of marital stability: marriages contracted in the early to mid twenties had lower divorce rates than those taking place before or after those ages. Do the patterns of the 1960s hold today? If they do, the present trend towards increasingly older ages at entry into marriage would be expected to be accompanied by higher levels of marital instability. This study examines this question, with particular focus on the case of women.
Topics of Expertise: Couples Conflict, Separation & DivorceCouples Conflict, Separation & Divorce
Couples Conflict, Separation & Divorce
How Should We Think About the Taxpayer Consequences of Divorce?

A new report, “The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing: First-Ever Estimates for the Nation and all 50 States”, raises the question of how much divorce costs taxpayers. This is an intriguing question, but unfortunately this report falls short on providing the answer. In the worst traditions of “advocacy science” the authors pick […]
Topics of Expertise: Couples Conflict, Separation & Divorce / Economic Inequality / Fertility,Reproduction & Sexual Health / Gender & Sexuality / Marriage & Divorce / TANF & Public AssistanceUnderstanding Low-Income Unmarried Couples with Children

Why do so many low-income couples postpone marriage but fail to postpone childbearing? Which couples eventually do marry? Why do the rest of the couples break up? How would knowing the answers to these questions affect public policy? A new briefing report by the Council on Contemporary Families offers an advance look at the […]
Topics of Expertise: Child Welfare / Cohabitation, Committed Relationships & Marriage / Couples Conflict, Separation & Divorce / Transition - Couples to ParentingThe Impact of Divorce on Children’s Behavior Problems

This paper summarizes the argument and findings of a longer and more technical paper that won the 2007 Graduate Student Paper Award in Social Demography from the Section on Population of the American Sociological Association. Many research studies have shown that, on average, children of divorce have more behavior problems than children growing up in […]
Topics of Expertise: Child Welfare / Couples Conflict, Separation & DivorceTricky Business of Estimating Divorce

In a research brief from the Council on Contemporary Families, University of Chicago’s Patrick Heuveline explains how divorce rates get calculated. If you ever report on divorce rates, this article will give you confidence in how you interpret them, and will show you the key questions to ask your sources when they are reporting on divorce statistics.
Topics of Expertise: Couples Conflict, Separation & DivorceEXPERTS
Willa Cather Professor & Chair of Communication Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Curators' Professor Emerita of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri
Professor, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion, School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Associate Professor, Department of Family Science & Human Development, Montclair State University
Psychologist & Marriage and Family Therapist
PhD Professor and Co-Chair of the College of Environmental Science, University of Missouri
Clinical Director, Perelman School of Medicine, Dept of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
Assistant Professor of Communication and Department Coordinator, Minot State University
Assistant Professor, Illinois State University
Professor, Department of Sociology & Population Studies Center, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Director of Sedona Counselling Centre of Montreal, Psychotherapist, Author, Divorce Recovery Expert
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University Medical School; Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology, Boston Medical Center; American Family Therapy Academy; Boston Center for Culturally Affirming Practices
Professor of Family & Consumer Studies and Adjunct Professor of Sociology, University of Utah