The Dollars And Emotional Costs Of Divorce

The Dollars Costs Of Divorce

From a cost perspective, divorce can be economically damaging not only for the state but also for couples. Consider these figures:
US divorces cost the country $33 billion annually or $312.00 per household;

The average divorce in America costs state and federal governments $30,000 in direct and indirect costs.
Direct costs to the state include child support enforcement, Medicaid payments, temporary assistance to needy families fund (TANF), food stamps and public housing assistance.
To the couple, divorce costs about $18,000 and this would include lost work productivity, relocation costs and legal fees that vary immensely, depending on the nature of the divorce and the situation of the couple.

The Emotional Costs of Divorce

And what about the argument that divorce makes people happier after they leave a sad marriage?
Studies appear to suggest that this is a myth, because evidence points to the contrary. According to the Institute of American Values, when divorced couples were rated with couples who stayed married on 12 parameters of psychological well-being, it was discovered that on average, couples who divorced were no happier five years after the divorce than were equally unhappily married couples who stayed together.

There are other reasons why divorced individuals don’t end up happier:

• Depression symptoms do not necessarily diminish with divorce, nor did divorce raise people’s self-esteem;
• Unhappy marriages were less common than unhappy spouses;
• Staying married did not typically trap unhappy spouses in violent relationships.

Ms. Heines also raised the litigation aspect in most divorces. She said that a significant number of married people usually want to settle their divorce with the least possible hassle, but divorce lawyers are a species to be reckoned with. They come up with arguments to justify getting into World War III, and they drag out the paper work.

For divorcing couples who become emotionally and financially spent, is the courtroom drama really all that worth it? Couldn’t couples just talk about their differences without third parties who are in it to line their pockets?