Facts About the Impact of Divorce on Children

Over 25 percent of children in the United States have a parent that lives in a different residence. The vast majority of these children have parents in different locations as the result of divorce. These statistics generally hold true in New Jersey. Because of the widespread nature of divorce, it is necessary to have a basic appreciation of some of the more important facts associated with the impact of divorce on children.

The emotional impact of a divorce on children simply cannot be ignored. Setting aside a section in this article about the emotion of impact a divorce has on children may seem like stating the obvious. The stark reality is that even things that may seem obvious may need to be restated and underscored.

The fact is that because there is virtually universal recognition that divorce has an emotional impact on kids can have the seemingly counterintuitive result of the psychological impact being at least somewhat overlooked or even minimized. In addition, the emotional impact a marital dissolution can have on children varies depending on the ages and the level of emotional development of a particular child. In other words, the emotional response of a child to divorce is dictated in part based on the particular age and maturity level of a child.

There can be some negative financial impacts on children as the result of a divorce. Some of the more alarming negative financial impacts on children of divorce warrant special consideration:

• At this juncture in time, less than 50 percent of due and owing child support payments have been made in full. In other words, less than 50 percent of parents in a divorce setting are current with their child support obligations.
• On an associated note, only approximately 43 percent of custodial parents receive the full amount of court-ordered child support payments from noncustodial parents.
• Approximately $10 billion in unpaid child support payments in the United States are uncollected at any particular point in time.
• A full 30 percent of children in divorced households live below the poverty level in the United States.
• The average child support payment in the United States is about $460 a month.
• The median annual child support payment in the country is approximately $4,400 each year.

When it comes to the impact of divorce on children, a marriage dissolution can harm potential opportunities of a child. The impact of the end of a marriage on the opportunities of a child can come in a number of different forms.

The impact on opportunities of a child as the result of a divorce can include some seemingly basic things. Simply because they appear to be basic does not mean that they are not important. For example, a divorce can end up impairing a child’s ability to participate in recreational activities, sports teams, or extracurricular activities. The end of a marriage and the establishment of separate residences of the parents can also have a notable impact on the social life of a child or children.

A divorce can also impact the opportunities of a child or children on what many do consider a more significant scale. There are instances in which the dissolution of a marriage hampers a child’s ability to attend a traditional university, college, or vocational school. In other words, a divorce can have a broad, pervasive, and long-term impact on opportunities that otherwise would be available to a child. Some do fairly describe this scenario as major opportunities permanently lost.

If you are involved at some juncture in the divorce process, you can learn more about your legal rights by scheduling a free initial consultation with the legal team at the Law Offices of Peter Van Aulen. You can schedule an appointment by calling us at (201) 845-7400. We can arrange a free initial consultation at a time that is convenient for you.