Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Continued Pursuit of Happily Ever After: Low Barriers to Divorce and Happiness

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Family and Economic Issues Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Throughout the 1970s, a “no-fault revolution” swept through the United States, reducing the legal and economic barriers to divorce. Previous studies have found that these legal changes did at least temporarily increase divorces, and may have been, on average, detrimental to women’s economic well-being. It has also been suggested that reducing the barriers to divorce redistributed power to spouses with better predicted outcomes on the remarriage market. In keeping with this theory, the current study examined men and women ages 25–50 as they transitioned to low-barriers to divorce regimes. My data show that reductions in the barriers to divorce were associated with reductions in women’s happiness, particularly among older women and women with children. Conversely, older men and men with children (these women’s potential partners) reported on average higher happiness after low barriers to divorce. These relationships were found even for individuals who remained married, suggesting that this redistribution of happiness was in part the result of a change in bargaining power within marriages.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akerlof, G. A., & Kranton, R. E. (2010). Identity economics: how our identities shape our work, wages, and well-being. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akerlof, G. A., Yellen, J. L., & Katz, M. L. (1996). An analysis of out-of-wedlock childbearing in the United States. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 111(2), 277–317. doi:10.2307/2946680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2004). Inequality and happiness: are Europeans and Americans different? Journal of Public Economics, 88, 2009–2042. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2003.07.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alesina, A., & Giuliano, P. (2006). Divorce, fertility, and the shot gun marriage. NBER Working Paper, (No. 12375). http://www.nber.org/papers/w12375. Accessed 26 Oct 2012.

  • Allen, D.W. (1992). Marriage and divorce: Comment. American Economic Review, 82(3), 679–685. http://www.jstor.org. Accessed 5 Dec 2011.

  • Amato, P. R. (2010). Research on divorce: continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 650–666. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchflower, D. G., & Oswald, A. J. (2011). International happiness: a new view on the measure of performance. Academy of Management Perspectives, 25(1), 6–22. doi:10.5465/AMP.2011.59198445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brinig, M. F., & Allen, D. W. (2000). ‘These boots are made for walking’: why most divorce filers are women. American Law & Economics Review, 2(1), 126–169. doi:10.1093/aler/2.1.126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brinig, M. F., & Buckley, F. H. (2000). No-fault laws and at-fault people. International Review of Law and Economics, 18(3), 325–340. doi:10.1016/S0144-8188(98)00008-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Britt, S. L., & Huston, S. J. (2012). The role of money arguments in marriage. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33, 464–476. doi:10.10007/S10834-012-9304-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bumpass, L.L., Martin, T.C., & Sweet, J.A. (1991). The impact of family background and early martial factors on marital disruption. Journal of Family Issues, 12(1), 22–42. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12316638.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cáceres-Delpiano, J., & Giolito, E. (2008). How unilateral divorce affects children. The Institute for the Study of Labor IZA Discussion Paper, No. 3342. http://ftp.iza.org/dp3342.pdf. Accessed 5 Dec 2011.

  • Casad, B. J., Marcus-Newhall, A., Nakawaki, B., Kasabian, A. S., & LeMaster, J. (2012). Younger age at first childbirth predicts mothers’ lower economic and psychological well-being later in life. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33(4), 421–435. doi:10.1007/s10834-012-9289-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiappori, P. A., Fortin, B., & Lacroix, G. (2002). Marriage market, divorce legislation, and household labor supply. Journal of the Political Economy, 110(1), 37–72. doi:10.1086/324385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 115–159. http://www.unc.edu/~nielsen/soci708/cdocs/cohen.pdf.

  • Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: the science of happiness and the proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55(1), 34–43. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (2006). Guidlines for national indicators of subjective well-being and ill-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1, 151–157. doi:10.1007/s11482-006-9007-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Ng, W., Harter, J., & Arora, R. (2010). Wealth and happiness across the world: material prosperity predicts life evaluation, whereas psychosocial prosperity predicts positive feeling. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(1), 52–61. doi:10.1037/a0018066.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellman, I. M., & Lohr, S. L. (1998). Dissolving the relationship between divorce laws and divorce rates. International Review of Law and Economics, 18(3), 341–359. doi:10.1016/S0144-8188(98)00014-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fella, G., Manzini, P., & Mariotti, M. (2010). Does divorce law matter? Journal of the European Economic Association, 2(4), 607–633. doi:10.1162/1542476041423359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedberg, L. (1998). Did unilateral divorce raise divorce rates? Evidence from panel data. American Economic Review, 88(3), 608–627. http://www.jstor.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Genadek, K. R., Stock, W. A., & Stoddard, C. (2007). No-fault divorce laws and the labor supply of women with and without children. Journal of Human Resources, 42(1), 247–274. doi:10.3368/jhr.XLII.1.247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldin, C. (1990). Understanding the gender gap: an economic history of women. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, N., Westoff, C.F., & Hammerslough, C. (1984). Demography of the marriage market in the United States. Population Index, 50(1), 5–25. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12266498.

  • Gonzalez, L., & Viitanen, T. K. (2009). The effect of divorce laws on divorce rates in Europe. European Economic Review, 53(2), 127–138. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2008.05.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, J.S. (1998). Divorce-law changes, household bargaining, and married women’s labor supply. American Economic Review, 88(3), 628–642. http://www.jstor.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gruber, J. (2004). Is making divorce easier bad for children? The long-run implications of unilateral divorce. Journal of Labor Economics, 22(4), 799–833. doi:10.1086/423155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guven, C., Senik, C., & Stichnoth, H. (2012). You can’t be happier than your wife: Happiness gaps and divorce. Paris School of Economics Working Papers(2011-01). doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2012.01.003.

  • Hoynes, H.W., Page, M.E., & Stevens, A.H. (2006). Poverty in America: Trends and explanations. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20(1), 47–68. http://www.jstor.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacob, H. (1988). Silent Revolution: The transformation of divorce law in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J.H., & Mazingo, C.J. (2000). The economic consequences of unilateral divorce for children. University of Illinois CBA Office of Research Working Paper, Paper 00-0112, 1–42. http://papers.ssrn.com/.

  • Johnson, W.R., & Skinner, J. (1986). Labor supply and marital separation. American Economic Review, 76(3), 455–469. http://www.jstor.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamp Dush, C. M., & Taylor, M. G. (2012). Trajectories of marital conflict across the life course: predictors and interactions with marital happiness trajectories. Journal of Family Issues, 33(3), 341–368. doi:10.1177/0192513X11409684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, A. B., & Schkade, D. A. (2008). The reliability of Subjective Well-Being Measures. Journal of Public Economics, 92(8–9), 1833–1845. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.12.015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, S. K., & Oppenheimer, V. K. (2000). Educational assortive mating across marriage markets: nonhispanic whites in the United States. Demography, 37(1), 29–40. doi:10.2307/2648094.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundberg, S., & Pollak, R.A. (2008). Family decision-making. In L. Blume & S. Durlauf (Eds.), The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan , New York.

  • Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803–855. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews, T.J., & Hamilton, B.E. (2002). Mean Age of Mother, 1970–2000. National Vital Statistics Reports, 51(1). http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr51/nvsr51_01.pdf. Accessed 10 March 2013.

  • Maume, D. J., & Sebastian, R. A. (2012). Gender, nonstandard work schedules, and marital quality. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33, 477–490. doi:10.1007/s10834-012-9308-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakonezny, P.A., Shull, R.D., & Rodgers, A. B. (1995). The effect of no-fault divorce law on the divorce rate across the 50 states and its relation to income, education, and religiosity. Journal of Marriage and Family, 57(2), 477–488. http://www.jstor.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkman, A.M. (1992). Unilateral divorce and the labor-force participation rate of married women. American Economic Review, 82(3), 671–680. http://www.jstor.org.

  • Peters, H.E. (1986). Marriage and divorce: Informational constraints and private contracting. The American Economic Review, 76(3), 437–454. http://www.jstor.org.

  • Pollak, R.A. (2005). Bargaining power in marriage: Earning, wage rates, and household production. NBER Working Paper, (11239). http://www.nber.org.

  • Reinhold, S., Kneip, T., & Bauer, G. (2011). The long run consequences of unilateral divorce laws on children- evidence from sharelife. MEA Discussion Paper No. 240-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1833387.

  • Rodgers, J.L., Nakonezny, P.A., & Shull, R.D. (1999). Did no-fault divorce legislation matter? Definitely yes and sometimes no. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61(3), 803–809. http://www.jstor.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Runciman, W. G. (1966). Relative Deprivation and Social Justice. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, B. (2007). The impact of divorce laws on marriage-specific capital. Journal of Labor Economics, 25(1), 75–94. doi:10.1086/508732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, B. (2008). Divorce law and women’s labor supply. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 5(4), 853–873. doi:10.1111/j.1740-1461.2008.00143.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, B., & Wolfers, J. (2006). Bargaining in the shadow of the law: divorce laws and family distress. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 121(1), 267–288. doi:10.1093/qje/121.1.267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, B., & Wolfers, J. (2007). Marriage and divorce: changes and their driving forces. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(2), 27–52. doi:10.1257/jep.21.2.27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, B., & Wolfers, J. (2009). The paradox of declining female happiness. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 1(2), 190–225. doi:10.1257/pol.1.2.190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweeney, M.M. (1997). The decision to divorce and subsequent remarriage: Does it matter which spouse chose to leave?”. NSFH Working Paper, (No. 77). http://www.popline.org/node/532467. Accessed 12 Dec 2011.

  • Tamborini, C. R., Iams, H. M., & Reznik, G. L. (2012). Women’s earnings before and after marital dissolution: evidence from longitudinal earnings records matched to survey data. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33(1), 69–82. doi:10.1007/s10834-011-9264-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Usdanky, M. L., Gordon, X. W., & Gluzan, A. (2012). Depression risk among mothers of young children: the role of employment preferences, labor force status, and job quality. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33(1), 83–94. doi:10.1007/s10834-011-9260-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, I., & Smith, H. J. (2001). Relative Deprivation: Specification, Development, and Integration. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfers, J. (2006). Did unilateral divorce laws raise divorce rates? A reconciliation and new results. American Economic Review, 96(5), 1802–1820. doi:10.1257/aer.96.5.1802.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Elizabeth Mokyr Horner

  2. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Elizabeth Mokyr Horner

Authors
  1. Elizabeth Mokyr Horner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Mokyr Horner.

Appendices

Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 6 Year of introduction of LBDs, different coding regimes
Full size table

Appendix 2

Unhappiness by Other Coding Regimes (GSS 1973–2000) Happiness by Other Coding Regimes (GSS 1973–2000) Coefficients and standard errors presented above. The figures above utilized other researchers’ codings for when and whether a state implemented unilateral divorce (as reported by Wolfers in his 2006 AER paper). As can be seen, alternative specifications support the primary finding that unilateral divorce increased the likelihood of a woman reporting she was unhappy. The results are somewhat mixed for men, but across the various coding regimes it would appear they were less negatively impacted by low barriers to divorce and may even be positively affected.

Appendix 3

Table 7 Demographic characteristics prior to low barriers to divorce (LBD) law
Full size table

Appendix 4

In order to verify that the results were not an artifact of changes in demographic characteristics within states, two verification tests were performed. In both, the sample was limited to years 1973–1987, which are the years most likely affected by LBDs as the last state implement an LBD was South Dakota in 1985. The second specification included the few demographic controls that were available starting in 1973, specifically, the proportion of the sample that is white, that identifies as Christian, that lives in an urban MSA, and education levels. As can be seen, the findings were robust to these checks. Women were more likely to report being very unhappy under LBD and men were more likely to report being very happy.

Table 8 Compositional effects
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Horner, E.M. Continued Pursuit of Happily Ever After: Low Barriers to Divorce and Happiness. J Fam Econ Iss 35, 228–240 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-013-9366-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-013-9366-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation