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More couples say ‘I don’t’ after 30 years of marriage

Filed under: General — JohnPotter @ 12:08 pm Fri 7th January 2005

New Statistics New Zealand research shows the number of long-term marriages ending in divorce has risen sharply in the past decade. In 2003, 940 marriages of 30-plus years ended in divorce – 60% more than the 570 in 1993.

Experts say the trend is probably driven by women with financial independence leaving their husbands after their children left home.

Roy McKenzie Centre for Family Studies director Jan Pryor said people now had higher expectations of their relationships. After the children left home, many couples decided they did not want to spend another 30 years in an unfulfilling relationship.

Pryor said marital break-ups could be just as distressing for adult sons and daughters as for youngsters, but in different ways.

Families Commission figures showed nearly half of Kiwi mothers would be solo parents at some stage before they turned 50, and one in five would live in a step-family.

These trends have alarmed many, who blame the demise of traditional family values for the nation’s woeful child abuse and domestic violence statistics.

Maxim Institute director Bruce Logan said research showed children were better off with a mother and father who were married.

But the country’s latest champion of the family, new Families Commission head Dr Rajen Prasad, denounced the “moral panic” and said families were very resilient to change.

2 Comments »

  1. I am amused by the comment:
    “Experts say the trend is probably driven by women with financial independence leaving their husbands after their children left home.”
    What sort of ‘Experts’ are these who admit their ignorance of the reasons by qualifying their views with “Probably”?
    The answer is that they are showing themselves to be merely ‘expert’ propagandists for the feminist supremacy myth!
    I contend that (based on actual experience)many of these breakups are caused by men DESIRING finanicial, emotional and social independance after enduring many years in an unrewarding, unsupportive, and demanding marriages.
    In support of my view, I point to the phenomenon of the huge numbers of middle-aged women looking for new partners, and the conspicuous absence of men with any interest in making the same mistake twice! I make this observation as an ex committee member of a large dating club which was recently closed due to a cronic lack of interest from men.
    I further contend that all these ‘liberated’ ex-wives, alone forever in their cold beds provide further evidence that FEMINISM IS JUST AN OLD WOMEN’S COMPLAINT!

    Comment by John Brett — Sat 8th January 2005 @ 8:58 pm

  2. Happy New Year to you all.
    Interesting commentary from John Brett. Sounds like the marriage strike Matthew Weeks talks of could be biting in NZ too. Not too surprising given NZ’s family law.
    I notice cynically how much talk is being generated about the efficacy of solo parents families (an oxymoron if ever I heard one!) And the drive for adoption for homosexuals now that Labour’s rammed through marriage (Whoops I mean civil union for gays just before everyone takes off for summer hols.
    Follow recent trends and bejeepers at this rate I’ll soon be able to return to NZ and celebrate polyamorous queer prostitutes adopting kids and living together as tribal affiliates on an alternative family benefit – and all at my expense as a taxpayer.
    Goodonya Labour. Here’s one former voter who’s turned off ya.

    Comment by Stephen — Mon 10th January 2005 @ 6:44 pm

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