Marriage and Divorce

The ongoing debate over “family values” entered a new phase this past year as activists launched a renewed push to toughen divorce laws and promote stable marriages. They blame the nation's no-fault divorce laws for the excessive U.S. divorce rate and for the resulting calamitous increase in children from single-parent homes who are growing up poor, depressed and struggling in school. The activists also point the finger at therapists and clergy for failing to press the importance of marriage in an increasingly individualistic society. Opponents counter that adding legal complications to the divorce process will only make divorces more expensive and more painful. They argue that couples need to learn better skills in handling both marriage and divorce.