Tough choices are being made between family income and family time. About half of all first marriages undertaken today will end in divorce. Law not only reflects but also shapes our society. Law creates incentives, and incentives affect behavior. Over time law can help change culture, both directly and indirectly.
Society has an interest in marital stability.
The social costs of divorce extend well beyond its impact on children, to include such things as legal expenses, investments in child support enforcement, and public programs that try to compensate for diminished family capabilities. The issue is whether public policy can help lower divorce rates at an acceptable cost. Legal change has independently intensified the effects of economic and cultural change. Law is not powerless to affect conduct. We must require individuals to assume greater responsibility for the interpersonal and social costs of their actions.