With Fewer Women Having Children, Divorce May Be Much Easier

Although the end of a marriage is never easy, many of us in Roseville have heard that the most complex, the most emotional and the hardest part of any separation is negotiating child custody and child support. Few parents want to be separated from their children, even if it is so their children can spend time with their other parent. Even fewer look forward to paying their ex-spouses every month for years, even if they know the money is supposed to go to their children. So, if children are removed from the equation, does that make divorce easier?

It is certainly possible. Without children, California couples primarily need to worry about dividing their marital estate. Unlike in other states in which marital property is divided equitably, meaning spouses can receive unequal shares of the property, California divides property in half. Determining whether the property is community (marital) property or separate property, however, can be complex.

While a childless divorce may be easier, it is certainly not easy. In addition to the emotions involved with the end of a relationship, there are the numerous complexities of California family law. Although it is certainly possible to divorce without the help of a family lawyer, it is a huge risk that not many Californians are willing to take. Making even the smallest of mistakes could have disastrous consequences years down the line.

According to The New York Times, the number of women becoming mothers has fallen from 90 percent in the 1970s to 80 percent today.

Source: The New York Times, “The Changing American Family,” Natalie Angier, Nov. 25, 2013