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Grounds for divorce in England and Wales—a social and demographic analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

John C. Haskey
John C. Haskey
Affiliation:
Cabinet Office, Central Statistical Office, Great George Street, London
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Summary

This paper examines the social and demographic features of divorcing couples by the grounds on which their decrees are made absolute and by the party granted the divorce. The demographic characteristics include ages at marriage and at divorce of husbands and of wives granted decrees, duration of marriage, number of children, and the social class of both the husband and the wife. The data are also analysed for particular categories of couples: those in which the wife is a housewife, couples where the husband is unemployed, couples who have a child which was pre-maritally conceived, and couples who have dependent children. There are clear and interesting differences in the demographic characteristics of couples who successfully petition on the various grounds, suggesting that the law is used in different ways by different couples. Reasons for the observed patterns are considered. The data provide some basis for assessing the possible repercussions on divorce of socioeconomic changes, and for informed discussion on whether and how divorce law might sensibly be improved.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , April 1986 , pp. 127 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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