Divorce Reform at the Crossroads

California passed the first pure no-fault divorce law in the United States and some form of no-fault has been adopted in every state - but the divorce revolution it launched remains unfinished. Now specialists in the field have written a book that appraises the situation today, explains how we got where we are, and explores legislative options for the future. This book presents evidence contradicting the view expressed by many critics that allowing no-fault divorce has significantly disadvantaged women. At the same time, it recognizes that many divorced women, especially those with custody of young children, face bleak financial prospects. The authors discuss persisting problems of the financial rights and obligations of divorcing couples, child custody, and the role of step-parents, and they analyze proposals for remedying these problems through legislative action. The book is not only for policymakers, lawyers, and social scientists who study the family but also for anyone concerned about marriage, divorce, and family life in America in the 1990s.