Separation Flashcards
separation
living apart before divorce
divorce
legal dissolution of a marriage
alimony
monetary payments by one ex-spouse to the other after a divorce
child support
monetary payments by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to help pay for child-rearing expenses
no-fault divorce
neither partner has to prove guilt or wrongdoing
custody
a court-mandated ruling regarding which divorced parent will have the primary responsibility for the children’s upbringing
sole custody
1 parent is responsible for raising the child and the other has specified visitation rights
split custody
children are divided between the parents either by sex or the children’s choice
joint custody
children divide their time between their parents, who share decisions about the children’s upbringing
positive outcome of divorce on children
decreases the amount of stress that children undergo in a high-conflict home
economic remarriage stage
couples re-establish a marital household as a financial unit
step family
a family where at least one parent has children that are not biologically related to their spouse
half sibling
brothers or sisters who share only 1 biological or adoptive parent
complex step family
both adults have children from previous marriages
social capital theory and step-children
experience more problems than nuclear families because step parents often invest less time and energy in raising their children
