The Damage of Divorce on Children

Divorce is a major event that has emotional and financial ramifications for the spouses involved. Of course, researchers and child experts say that divorce is damaging to children as well. But is it because of the parents or the divorce itself?

A new paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) looks at the negative effects of divorce. One of these effects is not talked about much and it involves the distance between parents. Parents are no longer in the same household, and the average distance between them is 100 miles. Of course, this is not good, as this distance limits children’s access to their parents. Children tend to be relocated after a divorce, which causes a lack of stability. This is made worse by an interesting fact: divorcing families move to lower-quality neighborhoods.

Probably one of the most obvious effects of divorce is the change in finances. In fact, this is a common reason why people who are unhappy in their marriages don’t divorce. In a divorce, assets are split, and financial resources are no longer pooled. Instead of possibly two incomes being used to pay for one household, these incomes are being used to run two households. To pay for expenses, parents often work longer hours or take on second jobs.

Research shows that mothers work 8% more hours after divorce, while fathers work double that amount —16% more — after divorce. This means they are away from the house more often and see their children less often. This means children may end up in the care of someone else or even left home alone.

Other Effects

Some other interesting facts about this research involve the effect of divorce and a child’s future income and mortality rate. When parents get divorced when children are younger, those children grow up to generally have lower incomes. By age 25, someone whose parents got divorced before age 6 will have approximately $2,500 less annual income. This could be as much as a 13% reduction. If a child is older when the divorce occurs, the negative effects are not as severe. Basically, divorce at early ages means worse long-term outcomes.

Research also showed that early childhood divorce increases mortality by as much as 45%. Fortunately,  the effect diminishes with age. Experiencing a divorce at an early age also increases children’s risk of teen birth by roughly 60% and increases the risk of incarceration by 40%.

These results show that parenting is a long-term, team project. Parents make plans and establish routines that  lay the foundation for the rest of the child’s life. Divorce crumbles this foundation and while laying a new foundation is not impossible, it is often expensive.

Seek Legal Help

Having children can complicate matters pertaining to marriage and divorce. Children are greatly impacted by their parents leaving the household.

Parents often want to do what’s right for their children, and this often leads to arguments. Count on Fort Lauderdale child custody lawyer Edward J. Jennings, P.A. to provide you with strong, effective representation when it comes to parenting and timesharing. Our lawyers are here for you and fight for your rights and your children. Call 954-764-4330 or fill out the online form to schedule a consultation.

Source:

thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-economics-of-divorce-a-new-paper-examines-the-harm-to-children/