Tag: Divorce

Philippa Martyr found six things that young married Australian Catholics seem to have in common.

Dating? There’s a series of tough conversations you need to have before you even suggest marriage, says Philippa Martyr

If you hate the Family Law Act, then what are you doing as a Catholic to make it obsolete? asks Philippa Martyr

Australia’ Family Law Act was launched with great hopes – but it has been a colossal disappointment that has ruined lives and undermined the institution of marriage.

If you’re not prepared to find out why a divorce is in the works, and to offer what help and support you can, do you really have any right to pontificate about it? Asks Philippa Martyr.

Divorce harms children. You know what else harms children? Staying together in a high-conflict marriage “for the sake of the children”.

I have a friend with three school-age children whose marriage is not going well, and her husband wants a divorce. How can I tell her that, apart from other considerations, this may have serious consequences for their children?

Recently published data on marriage and divorce in Australia have caught media attention: according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the crude divorce rate has dropped to 2.3 per 1,000 residents (2023). On the surface, it feels like a win for stability in our homes and communities, but there is more going on for us to consider.

Sometimes protecting faith and family means ending sinful or destructive relationships. Those decisions will hit hard. We love our families—but we must love them harder; love them more.

Contrary to popular belief, separation does not always end in divorce. Well supported, the process of separation can help a couple address their problems and reconcile stronger and better.

The no-fault divorce introduced in Australia in 1975 quickly morphed from a well-intentioned policy into a toxic and highly contagious force. But we can also use the power of social contagion to strengthen our marriages.

By Francine & Byron Pirola Life Long Marriage There’s a curious thing that happens when a divorce touches a community. Where once parents, friends and siblings believed...