An amicable divorce – what is that? We can remain friends even though our relationship didn’t work out. Yeah, right!

When you are getting a divorce, it may seem impossible to envision a future where you will become friends with your ex-spouse. So many issues which led to your separation and dissolution of marriage are still too fresh. The problems which separated you remain on the table, complete with all the things you fought over and the feelings that go along with all that unresolved anger.

Even though divorce rates in the U.S. have been steady the last few years, there are still a lot of couples getting divorced every year. Approximately one out of two married couples will end up in divorce court. And yet, marriage is still the ideal for most men and women. A recent survey of twenty-somethings indicated that 94% of these young men and women wanted to get married someday.

Most people go into a marriage with good intentions. They expect the marriage to last a lifetime, even though the odds for that are pretty grim. It’s becoming increasingly common for people to have two or three marriages in their lifetimes. This means, of course, that they will have had two or three divorces as well. So, the question for today is: can there be such a thing as a good divorce after a bad marriage?

Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage, which can be contrasted with an annulment, which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody and distribution of property.

Divorce may be a result of one or more factors, usually more than one, which make a couple unable or unwilling to continue the relationship. In some cases, incompatibilities arise due to financial needs, vast differences in career goals, or conflicts concerning time spent outside the home.

Some recent academic studies have revealed some fascinating facts about stress and marriage/divorce. For instance:

Divorce and work-related stress can be a deadly combination for men. Men who get divorced and report a lot of career stress may be at a greater risk for heart problems. (State University of New York-Oswego / University of Pittsburgh, Feb. 2002)