Cbikt Psychiatry and Human Development, Volume 2, Number 2, Winter 1971 THE IMPACT OF DIVORCE ON THE FAMILY David W. Cline, M.D., University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota Jack C. Westman, M.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin ABSTRACT: Often, divorce does not end disturbed marital relationships. Of 105 families that experienced divorce, 52 percent bad hostile postdivorce interactions requiring at least 1 court intervention, and 31 percent required 2 to 10 court interventions in a twozyear follow-up period. The legal reasons for the court actions centered around money and children. Commonly observed family dynamic patterns included (a) bostile interaction between divorced spouses over the parenting roles; (b) continued conflict between divorced spouses, but not involving the children or extended family; (c) perpetuation by the children of interaction between their divorced parents; (d) special alliances between one parent and child against the other parent; and (e) continued interaction of divorced partners, perpetuated by the extended family. Divorce is generally expected to resolve a disturbed marital relationship by terminating it, supposedly ending marital conflict and allowing new and better life adjustments for the individuals involved. However, the disturbed relationship can persist after divorce has taken place. When this occurs in couples with children, there is an impact on all the family members: divorce becomes a family affair. Although much has been written about factors leading to divorce and the divorce process itself, the literature is relatively sparse as to the extended impact of divorce on the family 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. This article gives special attention to such impacts; we will describe the incidence, manifestations, characteristics, and brief case histories of postdivorce turbulence following a statement of some basic assumptions. The family is a special system that functions via communicational, interactional, and affective relationships. Out of these relations develop certain forces that act as cohesive, unifying elements or as destructive and disruptive ones. Divorce results from elements that disrupt the nuclear and extended family members, changing the family equilibrium and altering the structure of the *The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of Mrs. Burl Sutton, A.C.S.W., Dane County Family Court Counseling Service, Madison, Wisconsin. 78 The Impact of Divorce on the Family 79 family system. The postdivorce period is characterized by continued family interaction that may or may not be adaptive for the family members. The importance of divorce for large numbers of children is indicated by surveys of incidence and complications of divorce. The divorce rate in 1969 was 3.3 per thousand 7: p. 47, table 53. Moreover, divorce is more a family than a marital phenomenon since 60 percent of all divorces affect young children. Five years after marriage is the median time of separation 81. RESULTS In reviewing 105 consecutive divorces in families with children passing through the Dane County, Wisconsin, Family Court, followed for a two-year period, we found that 52 percent had hostile interaction requiring court intervention. Thirty-one percent, or 33 cases, had repeated and intensive interactions requiring 2, 3, and up to 10 court actions. The legal reasons for these court actions centered around money (18 actions)and the children (15 actions) almost equally. Twelve of the financial actions were because of arrears in support payments, and 6 were for renegotiation of the original settlement. There were 7 court actions over child custody and visitation arrangements, and 8 over a combination of visitation rights and arrears in support payments. Several factors appear to explain continued turbulent interaction in the 33 couples. Eighteen of these 33 couples were clearly embroiled in their predivorce conflict. Six of the couples maintained amorous relationships. In two cases, the children promoted and perpetuated interaction between the divorced parents. In three cases, a parent and child worked together to reinvolve the other parent. In four cases, the extended family (or in one instance an attorney) promoted continuing interaction. We should note that one-half of divorces are not followed by repercussions coming to the courts attention. These divorces apparently are followed by complete separation and mutually satisfying resolution of child custody and finances. This is not to say that the couples involved in these divorces are indifferent to one another afterward. For example, a sociological study by Goode 5 revealed that 48 percent of divorctes felt that their former husbands should be punished for what they did to them, and there was little change in these feelings over time. Manifestations of postdivorce turbulence range from hostile, bitter, ambivalent feelings between divorced s