Premium
Influence of Procedural Decisions on Divorce Outcomes
Author(s) -
Burgess Sharon,
Jackson Golden,
Stafford Kathryn
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x9001800303
Subject(s) - receipt , contest , asset (computer security) , residence , wife , cash , minor (academic) , child support , alimony , actuarial science , sample (material) , demographic economics , psychology , social psychology , economics , political science , law , finance , accounting , computer security , chemistry , chromatography , computer science
The effects of decisions made during the divorce process on the probability of wife's receipt and amount of award of principal residence, cash, alimony, and child support at the time of divorce were estimated. A 10 percent random sample of court records provided data on legal representation, type of proceedings, grounds for divorce, role in proceedings, actions to contest divorce, motions filed during divorce, and asset and income awards. Length of marriage, number of minor children, and presiding judge were controlled in the analysis. The effect of procedural choices on wife's income receipt was greater than on her asset receipt. The most influential procedural decisions were women's decisions to be repre sented by an attorney and to contest the divorce.