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The effect of divorce on intergenerational transfers: New evidence

  • Intergenerational Relations
  • Published:
Demography

Abstract

This paper draws on new data on intergenerational transfers of time and money that were collected in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We use these data to examine the effects of divorce on these transfers. We find that the timing of divorce is critical. Fathers and mothers involved in late divorces have similar levels of transfers with their adult children, while divorce during a child’s childhood years increases transfers with mothers and sharply lowers them with fathers. Somewhat surprisingly, we find no evidence that divorced fathers who paid child support are more likely to be involved in intergenerational transfers than those who did not pay child support.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA

    Frank F. Furstenberg

  2. Department of Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware, USA

    Saul D. Hoffman

  3. Population, Health, and Nutrition Department, The World Bank, USA

    Laura Shrestha

Authors
  1. Frank F. Furstenberg
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  2. Saul D. Hoffman
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  3. Laura Shrestha
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Additional information

We are grateful to three anonymous referees and to the editor for their suggestions. Hoffman and Shrestha gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Boettner Financial Gerontology Research Fund. Shrestha was also supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.

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Furstenberg, F.F., Hoffman, S.D. & Shrestha, L. The effect of divorce on intergenerational transfers: New evidence. Demography 32, 319–333 (1995). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061683

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