Conclusions, Predictions, and Prognostications 217
documented the disparity between the spirit of the law and its
practice. I fully expect this reevaluation trend to continue. Many
sociologists are now calling for a rollback of no-fault divorce laws
and even for premarital waiting periods.
Perhaps the strongest recent statement is a recent Louisiana
law that creates an optional form of “covenant marriage,” entail-
ing a more binding set of vows that can be ended only under
extreme circumstances and/or after a mandatory waiting period.
After the passage of this new covenant-marriage law, Louisiana
couples registering to wed now make an initial choice between a
conventional marriage (which can be ended on typical no-fault
grounds) or the beefed-up level of commitment contemplated by
the new covenant marriage. If they select the covenant-marriage
option, they cannot get divorced except in a situation involving
domestic violence, or following a two-year separation period that
includes mandatory counseling.
Impacts and Aftershocks for the Divorcing Parties
Divorce is the future tense of marriage.
—Anonymous
Let’s face it, divorce discombobulates everybody! Comfortable
and familiar roles are turned upside down and inside out. New
relationships and new family structures emerge. Both adults and
children find themselves playing unfamiliar parts on unfamiliar
stages. New lifestyles get explored, experimentation abounds.
Adults often start acting like children, whereas their children fre-
quently take on adult roles. Life can suddenly turn into a giant
game of musical chairs, as both the parents and their kids move
into new homes, new schools, new communities, new relation-
ships, new careers, new personal or educational goals, new
friends, and new attitudes. Everything is in flux.
Statistically speaking, somewhere between one-half to two-thirds
of all divorcing parties claim to be basically content with the qual-
ity of their lives in the period following their divorce. Neverthe-
less, the remaining one-third or so apparently continue to feel an
intense sense of bitterness for many years following the divorce.