Move Over First Families: Stepfamilies Are the New Game in Town

By Beverly Willett   A few days ago, Honey Maid, the maker of a wide variety of well-known graham cracker products including the honey-flavored Teddy Grahams I once served my own children, unleashed the second installment in its “This is Wholesome” campaign.[1] The campaign, which is accompanied by two videos, celebrates stepfamilies, and was scheduled to coincide […]

“Beta Marriage” Isn’t a Better Marriage

By Greg Griffin I’m intrigued by the recent article in Time Magazine suggesting that millennials try out a “beta marriage” model instead of marriage as we have understood it through the ages. Like many of us, millennials too see life as a series of multiple choice options, all within their control. Frankly, they also view […]

Conscious Uncoupling: Another View

By Seth Eisenberg I have to admit, I became “consciously uncoupled” long before Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin created a national conversation about the phrase. My parents became consciously uncoupled before my fourth birthday. I admit this as someone proud to consider myself among the most passionate proponents of marriage. When TIME Magazine interviewed me a few years ago about […]

Why Not Conscious Re-coupling?

I find it sad when any couple splits, especially couples with children.  I feel the same way about Gwyneth Paltrow and her soon-to-be ex-husband. When there’s some sort of abuse, it’s equally sad, but it’s also understandable when a spouse calls it quits.  That’s not the case here.  And I’m more than a bit annoyed […]

America’s Dismantling of Marriage

Earlier this month, columnist Cynthia Allen reflected on America’s on-going debate about marriage and the historical connection between marriage and economic outcomes, especially for children.  “Marriage is not a silver bullet,” she said, but she also pointed out the failure of decades-long policies in our war on poverty, suggesting that there might be something to […]

Preventing Divorce Through Compassion, Humility and Positivity

 By Krsnanandini Devi Dasi & Tariq Saleem Ziyad The following is based on the true story of a couple headed toward divorce.  After the narrative, we give two scenarios that were possible, given the challenges the couple experienced.  We ask you, the reader, to choose the scenario that would give the best hope for the […]

What Kids Want Most

 Written by Beverly Willett I’m willing to bet the house that no child who sat on Santa’s knee this past Christmas wished for mommy and daddy to split up and live in separate houses.  And I don’t need a scientific survey to back that up. It’s not complicated, folks.  Unless family life is literally a […]

Why Divorce Reform Is Key To America’s Prosperity

The devastation caused by divorce in America each year is real and pervasive.  And the toll it takes on men, women and especially children has far ranging negative consequences in every realm — financial, physical and emotional.  “Families are torn in two, children grow up without a stable home or with a missing mother or […]

A Voice For The Children

By Lesli Doares Several years ago, a colleague of my husband’s loaned him the first season of In Treatment.  As a therapist, I appreciated the show but it felt a lot like a busman’s holiday for me.  After watching a few episodes, he turned to me and asked, “Is this what you do all day?”  […]

The Supreme Court’s Decision To Punt On Marriage

By Beverly Willett Each year, the Supreme Court of the United States officially begins a new term on the first Monday in October. For lawyers, this start of a new season is filled with excitement and anticipation as the Court hears oral arguments, delivers opinions and decides whether to grant certiorari on some of the […]

Coalition For Divorce Reform

The Legal Journey of No-Fault Divorce in America

by Matt Johnston Introduction The evolution of no-fault divorce in the U.S. is intertwined with cultural and social transformation. Originating from revolutionary reforms in early 20th-century Russia, the concept of dissolving a marriage without proving or even claiming fault found its way into American discourse, challenging traditional views on marriage and divorce. It is no […]

Navigating Your Child’s First Christmas After Divorce: Tips for Emotional Support

By Cathy Meyer The first Christmas after a divorce can be an emotional rollercoaster for children. It’s a time typically filled with family traditions and comforting routines, but this year, those traditions might feel different—or even broken. As a parent, your heart aches to shield your child from the sadness and uncertainty this season may […]

Standing for Marriage Even After Divorce

By Lisa Ann McKinley My name is Lisa Ann McKinley and I’m standing for my marriage. This is my testimony about where I am in my marriage and how my faith journey changed after attending the November retreat by Catholics for Marriage Restoration and the Archdiocese of Atlanta. I originally wrote this for my family […]

No-Fault Divorce is Bad For Kids. Divorce Justice is the Answer.

By Katy Faust My name is Katy Faust and I am the founder and president of Them Before Us. We are a global movement defending children’s right to their mother and father. That makes us fierce opponents of divorce. “Divorce” is another term for the death of a family. With it often comes the death […]

Strengthening Marriages in Florida: A Template for Divorce Reform, Complemented by the Latest in Technology

By Seth Eisenberg In the spring of 2000, Jane and Michael stood hand in hand at the altar, excited yet mindful of the challenges that lay ahead. They were like any other young couple—full of hope, but also cautious about the realities of married life. Two years earlier, Florida had introduced the Marriage Preparation and […]

Suffer Little Children

by Jason Williams Getting older is weird, at least if you have kids. It’s like doing 30 on the Interstate. Everything else is moving around you so fast that you feel like you’re standing still. I see it the most in my kids’ clothes. Pants, dresses, etc., start out too big so they can grow […]

The Latest Scare Cards to Prop up No-Fault Divorce

By Beverly Willett After a rash of rumors about a Republican plot to end unilateral no-fault divorce, a writer for The Atlantic has weighed in. The piece devotes exactly one paragraph to the claim, asserting that “Texas has a chance of actually doing it” because Republicans occupy top seats in the executive branch and control […]

Talking Points from The Longevity Project

1. Children from divorced families died almost five years earlier than those from intact families [page 80]
2. Facing parental divorce during childhood was the single strongest social predictor of early death, many years into the future [p. 80]
3. Having one’s parents divorce during childhood was a much stronger predictor of mortality risk than was parental death [p. 80]
4. The experience of parental divorce was strongly linked to earlier mortality from all causes, including accidents, cancers, and cardiovascular disease [p. 82]...Read more
 
 

Study Demonstrates Reduction in Military Divorce Due to Marriage Education

Findings from a large, randomized controlled trial of couple education are presented in this brief report. Married Army couples were assigned to either PREP for Strong Bonds (n = 248) delivered by Army chaplains or to a no-treatment control group (n = 228)...

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