The New York Times just put out a piece on “no fault divorce,” which was pioneered by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution and first showed up in the United States in 1970, in the state of California. Today, New York is the only state in the U.S. in which the party who wants the divorce must prove that the other is legally at fault. The article offers the pros and cons of the no-fault divorce, and then goes on to encourage mediation, especially if children are involved.
In a 12-year study of divorcing couples randomly assigned to either mediation or litigation, the psychologist Robert Emery of the University of Virginia and his colleagues found that as little as five to six hours of mediation had powerful and long-term effects in reducing the kinds of parental conflict that produce the worst outcomes for children. Parents who took part in mediation settled their disputes in half the time of parents who used litigation; they were also much more likely to consult with each other after the divorce about children’s discipline, moral training, school performance and vacation plans.
It’s a wonderful, insightful article. Click here to read the rest of it.
