“Divorce is a decree by a court that a valid marriage no longer exists. It leaves both parties free to remarry. The court will award custody, divide property, and order spousal and child support” (The American Bar Association 71).
“…till death do us part” is almost always heard at wedding ceremonies. But all too often this phrase does not represent its true meaning. Between 1960 and 1999 the divorce rate in the United States tripled (Porterfield vii). Out of all first time marriages, 41% end in divorce (Divorce Rate). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every 1,000 people, 6.8 get married and 3.4 of those marriages will end in divorce (Marriage and Divorce). The Family Legal Guide from The American Bar Association confirms that of the couples who marry before the age of forty-five, one-half of them will get divorced (71). These numbers do not seem to be decreasing. They only seem to be increasing as time goes on. If two people can no longer find it in themselves to be passionate towards one another and they no longer desire the others company, they should end their marriage. However, the growing number of divorces is proving that getting a divorce in the United States is too easy. The evidence proves that divorce laws should be made stricter throughout the United States.
Every divorce is different. Some divorces involve children. Some only involve the couple. Some have step children or half children. Some include hostile situations. Some are peaceful. Some are for valid reasons. Some are simply because the couple does not feel like being together anymore. Some are mutual. Some are not. So why is every divorce so quickly done and so easily obtained?
A number of states allow do-it-yourself divorces. No lawyers. No legal guide. Just file the papers and you are divorced (The American Bar Association 71).
In December 2010, Gardner reported that one in five marriages end in divorce because of Facebook (The Marriage Killer). “…divorce has become so common that some social critics even wonder whether marriage is an endangered species” (The Truth About Divorce 56).Because of changes in society and the way people see themselves, divorces seem to be more common than ever. According to an article in the New York Times, more marriages are ending in divorce because of the way women are viewed in society (Tavernise and Gebeloff). The more that women advance in their careers and the more money they earn, the more independent they become. Many men feel threatened by not being the sole bread winner, which causes tension in many marriages in the Unites States (Foroohar). Obtaining a divorce because one’s ego is too big to accept that it is possible for both parties in the marriage to earn equal amounts of money is not reason enough to obtain a divorce. These facts prove directly that a couple should not be able to file for a divorce on the grounds of “irreconcilable differences.” A couple needs a solid, provable reason for a...
