Divorce and The Fourth of July

On July 4, 1776, we declared our independence from Britain and the United States became a democratic nation. Part of our Pledge of Allegiance is very specific when it states that as a country, we stand for “…liberty and justice for all.”

We speak out about the value of education and we take pride in our sophisticated judicial system. We bend over backwards to remain fair and just in the way people are treated with one exception. Many don’t want to talk about or even acknowledge what happens to these people when they enter the judicial system.

Whether they find themselves in a courtroom as the litigants or the plaintiffs, statistics show that in more cases than not, they end up on the losing end. The reason is that these people are not validated by having a high enough income or any income at all.

They are not treated fairly in the work force or by the judicial system. The people I am referring to are divorcing women. These include working women, mothers who work outside of the home and stay at home moms.

Women going through divorce begin the process in last place because their earning power is substandard or nonexistent.  In 2009, for every dollar that a man earned, the female counterpart working in the exact same job earned 88.8 cents.

They are suffering catastrophically as the result of divorce. Our judicial system works well for the people who have money and for the lawyers. Those who can pay for the best attorneys are content as the system bleeds these poor women dry.

Current divorce statistics show shocking facts about the financial impact of divorce on women.

For many years we have known that the standard of living for fathers after divorce increases by more than 10% while the standard of living for the mothers decreases by over 27%.  New findings show that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Sit down and hold on tight for this!

Current divorce statistics show that the financial impact of divorce often leaves women and children in poverty.

More specifically

• Divorced women with children are four times more likely to have an income that is below the poverty level than married women.
• Single mothers are nine times more likely than married women to have incomes that are less than half of the official poverty level.
• While 10% of families in the U.S. are headed by a woman, 40% of families in poverty are headed by a woman.

The facts stated above result in a higher cost to society because of more court fees, bankruptcies, food stamps, and public housing. Isn’t it time to make some sense out of the nonsense? We need to help these women the best way that we can which means making changes in how the system works.

Independence Day should be a time to celebrate how fortunate we are to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave but we must not forget that there should be “liberty and justice for all” including divorcing women.

The good news is that the internet is proving to be a valuable resource for women who have internet access.

The best suggestion, I can make is to study the laws in your state and the process of divorce. Forewarned is forearmed.

First Photo: chaojikazu

Second Photo: He-Wee