Differences between his divorce and her divorce

 Men and women undergo different experiences during and after divorce which is seen in the way they react to the situation.  The ex-husband enjoys some advantages over the ex-wife in terms of living standards and personal freedom. In most cases, the man will enjoy an improved living standard since his income continues to be largely and constantly high after divorce.  The man is also able to enjoy more freedom since normally the children’s custody is offered to the mothers (Zinn, Eitzen & Wells, 2015). This means that the man has extra time he can use for travelling, going to recreational centers and hanging out with his friends. This increases his chances of meeting people and dating once more.  However, the ex-husband is more prone to personal isolation than the former spouse especially because he is no longer with his children.

The experience of women after divorce relates to lower living standards, income sources and personal isolation. Women tend to undergo a decreased living standard since their financial situation is affect by the presence of the children if they have parental custody.  Even though child support may help the women to avoid such a situation, not much is done to alleviate the situation (Zinn, Eitzen & Wells, 2015).. The sources of income are also likely to reduce due reduced chances acquiring more property and seeking fulfilling employment may be difficult since she has to care for her children especially if daycare expenses are out of reach.   However, women are not likely to suffer from isolation as much as men. The custody for children plays a role in emotional overload. They largely have better social networks that can offer moral support than men (Zinn, Eitzen & Wells, 2015). She may lose friends or take long time to meet new ones or even date.

Cohabitation as a gateway to marriage

 Research has shown that the number of people cohabitating as a couple has been increasing with time. . In heterosexual relationships, people who are likely to cohabitate before marriage are majorly younger adults and a significant number of them-one third - had previously been married and are likely to possess college degrees (Zinn, Eitzen & Wells, 2015). In addition, an increasing percentage of these couples are choosing to include their children in such a setting. Most young people in their 20s are living with their romantic partner at a given time and over half of ensuing marriages will follow after such cohabitation (JAY, 2012).  

The increase in case of cohabitation has been related to various changes in the society such as sexual revolution, access to birth control and the appeal of sharing the bills in the present economy. Another major factor has been the need to whether two people wishing to live together can get along and hence, reduce chances of divorcing. The effect of cohabitation has been shown in various studies that they cannot be explained by personal characteristics, education and orientations such as religion but by the cohabitation itself (JAY, 2012).

However, the experience has been different from such a belief, since partners cohabitating before they marry appear to have lower level of satisfaction and hence higher chances of divorce that partners who do not. The process takes place gradually so that couples do not get to talk about their reason for living together and the consequences.  This is also related to negative interactions and decreased commitment especially for men, even after marrying (JAY, 2012).

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