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Children whose parents divorce are likely to develop mathematical and social skills at a slower rate than children unaffected by divorce, a recent study has suggested. The research, conducted by PHD student Hyun Sik Kim, of the University of Wisconsin, showed that children’s performances in maths tests worsened whilst their parents’ divorces were processed and that they are also far more likely to display problems with their interpersonal skills and internalising behaviour during this period. It had previously been thought that disputes at home would have detrimental effects on children immediately, but contrary to this belief, Kim’s research showed that the children studied displayed no negative effects of paternal conflict until after their parents had commenced divorce proceedings. The report also claimed that children of divorce are more prone to feelings of anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem and sadness. No negative effects on the children’s reading ability was found, with it being suggested that this stems from the fact that reading does not require the same level of cumulative development as maths. Kim attributed these developmental and emotional setbacks to the stress of living with bickering parents, the unstable living arrangements associated with separated parents and the potential economic hardship that can arise from a drop in familial income. Fortunately, children do not show any further negative effects post-divorce and Kim himself has also suggested that effectively managing a divorce and talking your children through the process, along with the reasons as to why a divorce is necessary, can minimise or even eradicate the negative effects that divorce can have on children. “If they understand [the divorce], children may be able to concentrate better and form friendships.”

A recent study has revealed that relationships are likely to suffer and end in divorce if women have a poor night’s rest. The same is not true for men, however. Research conducted at the University Of Pittsburgh’s School Of Medicine, showed that wives who had not slept well the night before reported decreased social harmony the following day, with their husbands reporting identical results. If the husband experienced a poor night’s sleep then there appeared to be not adverse effect to the ‘functionality’ of the marriage, though. Dr Wendy Troxell, the school’s professor, studied the nocturnal activities of thirty five healthy married couples over ten nights with a device known as an actigraph used to record how long it took each individual to fall asleep and how long they slept for. The couples were then asked to note positive marital interactions, such as being praised or supported, and negative interactions, such as being unnecessarily criticised or ignored, in personal diaries. Results not only showed that couples were more likely to experience negative events in their marriages the day after a poor night’s rest, but that these negative events had little effect on the quality of sleep enjoyed that night and that husbands tended to get less sleep after having reported more positive interactions during the day. Prior research conducted by Dr Troxell had found that women who consistently shared their bed with a partner slept better than their single counterparts.

Prime Minister, David Cameron, has been blasted by critics following comments he made concerning absent fathers in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph. In the article, Cameron states that “we need to make Britain a genuinely hostile place for fathers who go AWOL,” going on to add that “they need the message rammed home to them, from every part of our culture, that what they’re doing is wrong – that leaving single mothers, who do a heroic job against all odds, to fend for themselves simply isn’t acceptable”. These comments have sparked fierce debate, with Labour stating that the comments were “utterly disingenuous” and that policies that Cameron intends to introduce would in fact hinder single mothers. Shadow home secretary, Yvonne Cooper, said that Cameron’s words were “hollow” pointing out that single mothers that needed to enlist the help of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) would be required to pay an upfront fee of £100 (£50 if they claim benefits) plus an on-going charge of between 7 and 12 per cent of any money paid by the absent parent when payments were collected and enforced by the CMEC. Erin Pizzey, founder of domestic violence charity Refuge, accused the Prime Minister of narrow mindedness, noting that there are any number of reasons why fathers may not be involved in their children’s lives, further stating that singling out fathers was wrong adding "There is a vast mass of women who are equally as feckless as the men and we never talk about them." A spokesperson from website onlydads.org agreed that Mr Cameron’s statements were oversimplifications, adding that there were numerous cultural, economic and legal issues which can prevent fathers from enjoying a relationship with their children following a separation or divorce. Plans to cut the country’s legal aid budget – as reported by Quickie Divorce on 8th June – are likely to further impede estranged father’s attempts to see their children. The cuts to the family court are expected to be so severe that less affluent fathers that require the court’ assistance in order to see their children will now have no option but to represent themselves.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has added its support to the Catholic Church’s decision to oppose legislation that would see divorce legalised within the Philippines. The militant Islamic group expressed its support via comments left on its website, www.luwaran.com, on Thursday. Following Malta having revoked its ban on divorce last week, the Philippines and the Vatican City are currently the only countries in the world that prohibit divorce. Proposals to legalise divorce – which are due to be discussed by a congressional committee in the near future – have been met by significant opposition from the Catholic Church. One of the bill’s creators, congresswoman Liz Ilagan, has stated that it is time for the Philippines to accept change and step out of the “dark ages”. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, have argued that the divorce bill is little more than an attempt to divert people’s attention away from more pressing issues and that being the last major nation to oppose divorce “is an honour that every Filipino should be proud of”. It is possible to have a marriage annulled in the Philippines, but many critics have argued that that this option is extremely expensive and is accessible to the country’s richest residents. Filipino people were previously afforded the opportunities to divorce their spouses during the American and Japanese occupations of the country before divorce was officially outlawed with the implementation of a civil code in 1950.

Celebrity divorce has been a hot topic for some time now and with several high profile stars having engaged in somewhat ‘questionable’ activity of late; newspapers worldwide are rife with stories of celebrity spouses collecting hefty pay-outs. But which celebrity divorces have proven to be the most expensive? Truth be told, with publishers being subjected to numerous legal restraints, it isn’t possible to say for certain, but we at Quickie Divorce have trawled news sources in order to shed light on this most titillating of topics. American scriptwriter, Melissa Mathison, who divorced husband Harrison Ford in 2004, is a significant contender for the award. With shrewd negotiations seeing her collect a significant portion of the Indian Jones and Fugitive’s star’s future royalties, this particular settlement has been estimated as being worth £72 million. This is followed closely by the £61 million that Steven Spielberg was ordered to give to former spouse Amy Irving in 1989. The E.T. director had requested that Irving sign a pre-nuptial agreement, but his bizarre belief that the impromptu document – which had been written on a napkin – would stands up in court was soon discounted and Spielberg was ordered to hand over half of his fortune to his then wife. Current reports suggest that these settlements are soon to be dwarfed, however, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson set to shell out £122 and £208 million respectively. Impressive as these figures may be, they pale in comparison to the quite frankly eye-watering settlements linked to some of the world’s richest businessmen. Saudi Arabian businessman, Adnan Khashoggi, issued a payment of £500 million when divorcing his wife in 1980 whilst Rupert Murdoch paid out the largest record figure ever when he wrote his former wife, Anna Maria Torv, a cheque for £1 billion in 1999.

Are you unhappy in your marriage? If you’re answer to this question is an unequivocal yes, then you’ve no doubt already considered divorcing your spouse. Our feelings for our loved ones simply do not disappear overnight, however, and it’s therefore also likely that you’re considering ways of mending your marriage and avoiding divorce. We here at Quickie Divorce have therefore pooled our extensive knowledge and prepared some tips designed to help you rekindle and keep the spark that once made your marriage so special, here goes: Think it over and communicate If you’re unhappy, you really need to discuss things with your partner. Don’t dive into this head first, though, you’ll become flustered and won’t be able to communicate effectively. Worse yet, you could become defensive and get your spouse’s back up – hardly conducive to a reconciliatory conversation. Before talking things through with your partner, sit down and work out exactly why you’re unhappy. When you feel ready, talk to your partner and discuss your feelings with them. Make sure you remain calm and, above all else, are ready to acknowledge that you are responsible for some of the problems in your relationship too. One spouse rarely shoulders sole responsibility for all of the problems in a marriage and you must acknowledge this in order for you and your partner to reconcile your differences. Make sure you and your partner are on the same page Following this discussion, you and your partner should agree that you both want to work at your marriage, that past events are now behind you and that it’s time to move on. Unfortunately, if your partner does not agree and wants to separate, then – short of attempting to convince them otherwise – you need to accept your position and consider your options. Don’t worry about arguments (too much) It is a myth that arguments are a sign of an unhappy marriage. Rather, the fact that both partners are willing to engage in healthy debate – or even heated arguments – is a clear signifier that passion still exists within their relationship. Furthermore, conflict is an inevitable part of marriage, but it’s by no means a reason to walk away from your relationship. In our experience, it’s far worse when one spouse, or even both, no longer even have the energy to argue and are instead willing to accept anything that their partner says or does. This is a sure sign that your partner is no longer willing to ‘fight’ to make your marriage work and requires immediate action. Share some interests Whilst it’s perfectly healthy to have different interests and spend some time apart, the importance of making time for each other and, more importantly, enjoying this time, is of paramount importance. Think about what you enjoy and how you can share it with your partner. This could be as simple as talking a walk together, helping each other to prepare a family meal or even attend a class with one another. Alternatively, take an interest in some of your spouse’s favourite pastimes, however uninteresting they may seem. You never know, you might like them and you’ll earn significant brownie points. Make time for the things that you love Ok, this may appear to contradict the point that we’ve made above but recent research has shown that individuals that give up things they enjoy for the sake of their relationship often develop feelings of resentment towards their partners. So, make time for your friends, keep playing football on a Sunday morning and go to lunch with your girlfriends. Always remember, though, a little selfishness goes a long way and spending too much time away is likely to do more harm than good. Support each other With the modern world subjecting its occupants to consistent stress and pressure, developing a relationship where your partner feels protected is certain to create a happier atmosphere at home. So, talk to your spouse about their day, reassure them when they’re concerned and share household tasks. Trust us, your partner will soon reciprocate and you’ll find yourself in a much happier relationship. Trust each other We’ve all been tempted to read our partner’s emails or check their text messages, but all human beings require privacy and failing to respect this is almost certain to end in conflict. If, for any reason, you find yourself feeling suspicious of your partner’s actions, talk to them immediately; you’ll probably find out that you had nothing to worry about. Don’t be afraid to ask for help Last, but certainly not least, you should never be afraid to ask others for help. We’re not suggesting that you run to counselling every time something goes wrong, but there is a wealth of resources available to you from the internet to friends and relatives. Counselling may, at times be the best course of action if you are experiencing significant problems, but all relationships suffer from time to time and the advice of others can be greatly beneficial when problems do arise. If nothing else, merely knowing that others have had similar problems and provide comfort and remind you that nothing is beyond retrieval.

The continuous growth of the internet has had a significant effect on divorce applications with Legal personnel specialising in family law having stated that the vast majority of petitions that they prepared in 2010 made some reference to social networking sites. Emma Patel, the head of family law at Hart Scales & Hodges Solicitors in Surrey, has been quoted as saying that the number of petitions citing Facebook in one way or another is “remarkable.” She further stated that couples have referred to “flirty messages” and “inappropriate chat” in their petitions before adding that aggrieved spouse’s tendencies to make “inflammatory posts’ following divorce proceedings having begun have led to her advising her clients to refrain from using such sites until their divorces have concluded. “One divorcing couple’s rows on Facebook got so bad one party was charged with malicious communication after the police got involved” she stated. Lawyers have also become savvy to the wealth of evidence that can be obtained from the internet and a study conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers revealed that Facebook provides the majority of this evidence with MySpace and Twitter close behind. Facebook evidence has been used to reveal that a woman that was claiming compensation owing to a disability was still competing as a professional bodybuilder post injury, whilst evidence gathered from other parts of the web was used to prove that a respondent in a divorce case had filmed her own acts of adultery and broadcast them over the web for profit. The online virtual world Second Life, were users interact with one another through avatars (a graphical representation of the user,) has caused further tension between couples with married users engaging in ‘virtual’ or ‘avatar affairs’ with other users. Unlike a conventional affair, those who engage in ‘avatar affairs’ will never meet their online lovers – thereby making it impossible for them to commit an actual act of adultery – but instead engage in a hypothetical relationship. Online games such as World of Warcraft have also been implicated in several divorce petitions of late. Prior to this, football management simulation game Championship Manager was held accountable for matrimonial disharmony, with reports stating that addiction to the game had been quoted in no less than 35 divorce petitions. Now, there’s nothing wrong with taking time to yourself but, for the sake of your marriage, put the mouse/keyboard/controller down occasionally and spend some time with your spouse. After all, don’t we all prefer reality to virtual reality?

Guatemala’s current presidential elections have recently thrown up one of the most unusual reasons for divorce that we at Quickie Divorce have seen in our ten years in the business. Presidential hopeful, Sandra Torres, 56, recently sacrificed her happy eight year marriage to current president, Alvaro Colom, due to a constitutional ban that prevents relatives of incumbent officials from succeeding them in office. Whilst her dedication has to be admired, the bizarre reasons behind Torres’ divorce got us thinking: what other reasons have, or can, be given for divorce? A question which saw us trawl through the internet for some of the more unusual and interesting arguments that have been put forward to justify divorce. Our findings, as we’re sure you’ll agree, are rather interesting. In Canada, for example, a couple can divorce if one spouse’s snoring keeps the other awake at night whilst in Japan, your partner sleeping in an unacceptable position is considered sufficient enough for a judge to grant a divorce. From the husband who claimed that his wife’s acne was “traumatic” to the wife who stated that her bibliophile husband loved his books more than her, India has seen numerous individuals rely upon a smorgasbord of seemingly trivial reasons to divorce their spouse. India has also seen couples divorce because of poor table manners, disagreements over the family dog and, undoubtedly the most trivial reason of all, because one half of a couple wanted to keep the bedroom fan on at night, whilst the other didn’t. Well, thinking of several examples of unreasonable behaviour was never easy. Still, maybe you should get some advice before relying on disagreements over home furnishings in your petition.

The recent recession has, it seems, not only influenced bank accounts, business and interest rates, but has also had a significant effect on people’s home lives too. It could be argued that this statement is somewhat redundant; there is no denying that increased pressure can cause tension between couples, but could the implications of financial hardship result in unhappy couples postponing divorce for the sake of relative affluence? Recent findings suggest that they would, with the emergence of a new group; ‘the semi-married’. Recently coined by historian Pamela Haag, ‘the semi-married’ couple are a husband and wife who want to divorce but stay together or remain within the same property for financial reasons. This is nothing new, of course, many couples still reside in the same property following them having separated. We at Quickie Divorce are fully aware that couples can live separate lives whilst cohabiting and have helped couples in his situation on numerous occasions. The UK’s slow recovery from financial peril, coupled with a stagnant housing market have, however, resulted in a significant growth in the number of individuals that chose to live with their partner even after they have concluded that their marriages have irretrievably broken down. The housing market is arguably the main factor influencing such decisions. Negative equity and lender’s reluctance to provide consumers with cheap borrowing present less affluent would be divorcees with almost insurmountable hurdles. In such marriages, the matrimonial home is nearly always the couple’s primary asset and the most common means of splitting this attribute fairly is for one individual to buy the other out by re-mortgaging the property. The fact that it is becoming extremely difficult to obtain cheap credit has left many couples concluding that divorce is not a practicable option and that cohabitation is the only feasible route available to them for the time being. Whether or not couples craving a quick divorce and fresh start can successfully cohabit is another matter, however, and for every individual that successfully traverses the change from spouse to housemate, there is another that inevitably slips of the proverbial precipice and becomes severely unhappy. What couples must conclude is whether or not they genuinely can remain in the same household even when divorce is, or has recently been, at the very forefront of their minds. If they conclude that that can remain patient then that is all well and good, but for those that cannot tolerate the prospect of residing with and individual that they once loved then they would do well to pay heed to the old adage ‘money isn’t everything’.

Divorce rates in Malaysia doubled between 2002 and 2009 and a group of Malaysian Muslim women plan to promote marital happiness and curtail the country’s divorce rate by forming a group known as The Obedient Wife Club. The club’s founders have stated that issues such as domestic abuse and infidelity occur because “wives don’t obey or satisfy their husbands,” further stating that wives should learn to “obey, serve and entertain their husbands” by greeting them with “alluring smiles and sexy clothes”. Women’s rights groups and politicians have reacted angrily to comments made by the group, stating that any claims that a wife’s ability to obey and sexually satisfy her husband are the only causes of matrimonial conflict are gross simplifications and that they are insulting to wives and husbands alike. Malaysia’s minister for women, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, was asked whether Muslim woman in Malaysia had any rights during a recent visit to Kazakhstan and has stated that The Obedient Wife Club have sullied the reputation of both Malaysia and Islam. The group – who formed at the beginning of this month and currently boast over 800 members – have stated that they expected such reactions, but have no intention of slowing their efforts and hope to extend their membership across South East Asia in the coming months. Approximately sixty per cent of the population of Malaysia are followers of Islam; the country’s large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities tend to follow Christian, Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

A divorce, some might argue, should bring about a period of solemn contemplation; time to take stock of your situation and evaluate your mistakes. On the other hand, with current divorce proceedings providing applicants with sufficient time to mourn the end of a marriage before their divorce is finalised; many people are now choosing to celebrate the feelings of liberation and relief brought about by the dissolution of their marriage by partying like it’s… well, their wedding day. Yes, that’s right; your divorce is now the newest reason to celebrate. Take Jack White, frontman of The White Stripes, and wife Karen Elson, for instance. The couple held a party to celebrate both their sixth anniversary and impending divorce on Friday. They have since stated that they had this party in order to “celebrate the time they had shared with one another” and “to re-affirm their friendship”. A divorce party seems tame when compared to events in Japan, however, where some couples choose to finalise their divorce during bizarre public ceremonies. These surreal services begin with the couple being driven separately to the relevant venue before a brief toast is made with tea. Following the conclusion of this toast, the couple are handed a single mallet and, together, engage in an act of vitriolic symbolism when smashing their wedding rings to smithereens thus confirming that their marriage is well and truly at an end. Maybe these activities come across as inappropriate or even crass – one commentator has even gone as far as to say that holding a divorce party is akin to celebrating a miscarriage – we here at Quickie Divorce recognise, however, that such a party can be not only a cathartic experience, but also an opportunity to celebrate the prospect of moving on with your life and finding happiness once again – a reason to celebrate if ever there was one!

US Company SafeGuard Guaranty Corp has carved out an interesting niche in the world of insurance products; it offers married couples insurance policies that pay out if they divorce. SafeGuard Chairman and CEO, John Logan, said the idea came to him following him having found himself almost destitute following his own divorce ten years ago and that the idea has proven to more popular than you might think with there being “more than a handful” of policy holders and the number of people taking out cover growing on a monthly basis. Logan also noted that policies can be purchased discreetly by an individual’s family or friends should they suspect infidelity or any other sort of damaging behaviour likely to break up a marriage. The policy has been met with criticism, however, with legal professionals stating that couples would be better off contributing to a mutual fund. These policies have recently been made available to UK residents with premiums for one-off policies start at £750.00. Alternatively, customers can pay £10.00 per month throughout the course of their marriage. With significant cuts in Legal Aid due to come into force in the coming months, these policies will no doubt appeal to many couples. But this does not change the fact that these policies only offer value for money if your divorce becomes contested. In the event that your divorce is uncontested, online companies such as Quickie Divorce can assist you in processing your divorce for just a fraction of the costs mentioned above. In fact, we could also assist you in obtaining a clean break order – thereby allowing you to protect your current and future assets – as well as a divorce and still offer superior value. In a nutshell, you should consider your options before purchasing divorce insurance as you could well find yourself paying more than you actually need to. If you’re looking for an unusual wedding gift, on the other hand, look no further.