Reply to oppenheimer and preston

I am honored to have my essay discussed at such length by two of the most eminent scholars in the field. Because of space constraints, I will not attempt to respond to all of their points, but instead will focus on the most serious criticisms. Many of the issues raised by Preston and Oppenheimer are quite technical, and I will address them in due course. Let me begin, though, by addressing a more fundamental issue: my theoretical perspective on marital dissolution. My position seems to have been misunderstood, no doubt because my theoretical discussion was too cursory and noncommittal.