Effects of Divorce Essay

Divorce can be defined as the termination of a marital union, the canceling of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and the dissolving of the bonds of matrimony between married couples (Wikipedia, 2013). Divorce affects the couple and children (if any). The divorce is the most serious social problem that affects almost the entire life of the children and the couple, it also makes troubles like: sadness, despair, and unforgettable moments (Williams, 2013). In this paper, I will be discussing the factors contributing to divorce in Canada and will also explain certain statistics used as well. The methodologies that I will be using are both the qualitative and quantitative approach. The reasons I am using both of them are because by using the quantitative research, I will develop mathematical hypotheses pertaining to the phenomena. Also to analyze this topic with the use of statistics to make it somewhat accurate, while for quantitative; because it will explain in word data about my information. I strongly believe that these two forms of methodology will properly explain the factors contributing to divorce. The history of the legalization of divorce in Canada predates that of its colonial overseer, England, where it was only in 1857 that divorce was legislated, mainly on grounds of adultery. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island respectively enacted divorce laws in 1761, 1791, and 1837, generally on grounds of adultery (Wu & Schimmele, 2009). It was not until 1968 that Canada enacted its first unified Federal Divorce Act, which was followed by the more liberal or no fault act of 1985 and it was mentioned that the sole reason for divorce is marriage breakdown, which is defined as either living apart for at least one year, or committing adultery, or treating the other spouse with physical or mental cruelty. Though divorce rates have not increased recently in Canada, the number of divorced persons is however increasing with population growth. In 2007, there were 972,183 divorced women and 712,531 divorced men in the population (Statistics Canada, 2007). The difference betwee n the men and women is because divorced men re-partner faster and more than women and also because women live longer than men.