As we take a look back on the events and developments of the last year, we find some interesting divorce facts and tidbits.
Celebrities continued to capture the spotlight with their divorces. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are at the top of the list when it came to divorce in 2012. In a surprise move Holmes took off with her daughter to New York and filed for divorce. Quick developments in their divorce captured the attention of not only the nation, but also the world.
Holmes' bold move to leave her residence with her daughter had many believing Cruise would engage in a heated, contested battle. Yet, in a short period the couple was able to agree on a marital settlement agreement – giving them a smooth uncontested divorce and keeping the details of their divorce private.
Courtney Cox Arquette decided after a twelve year marriage she was not only going to get a divorce, but also change her name – dropping the Arquette. Both she and her now ex spouse decided to also have an uncontested, amicable divorce. Like Holmes the goodwill both parties had during their divorce saved the media from releasing various negative and deeply personal details about their marriage.
The University of Michigan released some compelling findings last year. In November the university published their finding on how health insurance coverage changes after divorce. Their study demonstrates that approximately 115,000 women lose their private health insurance each year after their divorce. In addition, these same women average over two years of having diminished health care coverage in their post divorce life.
Dr. Terri Orbuch from the University of Michigan has contributed to the body of knowledge on divorce research. Last November the University of Michigan released her findings on the impact of in-laws during a marriage. Her research indicates that when wives become close to their in-laws the probability of divorce increases by twenty percent. Although, when the husband has a close relationship with his in-laws the divorce probability drops by twenty percent.
A Norwegian study released late last year contradicts earlier studies on couples sharing household work. Their findings report that couples who divide household chores have a greater tendency to divorce than couples where the woman does the majority of the housework. The same study found modern couples to have a different attitude towards marriage and holding the institution of marriage as less sacred. In these same couples, women had more formal education and a well paying job, leaving them to feel less dependent on their spouse.
Lastly, the University of Florence released their study in May 2012 on cheating males. According to their study, men who are unfaithful to their wives have a higher probability of having a major cardiovascular incident. Dr. Alessandra Fisher stated that a couple of contributing factors to this finding is that men are drinking and eating more before engaging in extramarital sexual activity.
