The Consequences of Divorce Proceedings for Divorced Fathers

A critical issue for research is to determine why so many divorced fathers have little or no contact with their children. This study of 255 divorced fathers investigated the influence of divorce proceedings on divorced fathers' parental role and on several indicators of their post-divorce adjustment. The intervening influence of the custody arrangement was also considered. The study found that fathers reported spending less time with their children in divorce cases that were litigated than in cases involving out-of-court settlements. Also, fathers who litigated wanted more time with their children, reported less cooperativeness from their former spouse, and were more likely to relitigate than the other fathers in the study. Suggestions are offered for minimizing the need for litigation.