Divorce epidemic overwhelming UK's courts

Formatted Soul
By Formatted Soul

Marriage must be re-established as the "gold standard" for relationships to halt an "epidemic" of family breakdown ¬¬which is overwhelming the family courts, a ¬senior judge said yesterday.
Mr Justice Coleridge, a family division judge, said the consequences of family break-up for society were so great that it could no longer be a purely private matter, and called for a national commission to consider the problem and its solution.
The same judge last year said there was a "meltdown" in family life which was "as big a threat to the future of our society as terrorism, street crime or drugs".
In a speech in Westminster he blamed unrealistic expectations about relationships. "What I hope in all humility I am drawing attention to is the endless game of 'musical relationships' or 'pass the partner', in which such a significant portion of the population is engaged in the endless and futile quest for a perfect relationship which will be attained, it is supposed, by landing on the right chair or unwrapping a new and more exciting parcel," he said.
With many children growing up scarred by parents' break-ups, he said it could no longer be seen as just a matter for the individuals involved.
"The fundamental change in individual attitude and behaviour that is required is in our assumption that the way in which we conduct our private lives in relation to both the production and parenting of ¬children or the break-up of a parental relationship is a private matter which only affects the individuals directly concerned," he said. "Although, superficially, these are private issues, they become matters of public concern when they are happening on such a huge scale. Marriage is by no means ¬perfect or the only way, or the only structure for living with a partner, but statistically it has proved to be the most enduring and, statistically, the children of such relationships perform the best," he said.
The Department for Children, Families and Schools said only a minority of families ended up in the courts, and added: "We know that strong family relationships are fundamental to the wellbeing of … society. That is why the government is committed to doing more to support parents and children experiencing family breakdown and to provide preventative support to help families maintain strong, stable relationships."

Source : www.guardian.co.uk

By anonymous• 18 Jun 2009 14:55
anonymous

reflective of a society where people need the latest upgrades, throw away perfectly powerful and useful items, have forgotten how to communicate in prose and poetry, and generally lambast anything that isn't perfect.

such a 'now' generation, that as soon as something goes sour they want a trade or a refund

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 14:53
Gypsy

Sure they can. They may have, at one point, been in love. Usually cases like these are people who've had the Romantic movie, ideal love, and when it wears off they realize they didn't have "real" love. So they had the passion and the fireworks, but not the friendship, trust and companionship.

By blablabla• 18 Jun 2009 14:50
blablabla

well, these people can never have that true or ACTUAL love you talked about..

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 14:39
Gypsy

Depends on the people blablabla. Not all couples start to hate each other but some do. People grow and change. Someone you met at 20 isn't the same person when you're 50.

By blablabla• 18 Jun 2009 14:35
blablabla

Gypsy, this hate they develop after having kids and spending quite sometime together?

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 14:33
Gypsy

By loveless marriage I mean you hate each other and can't stand to even be in the same room.

By blablabla• 18 Jun 2009 14:29
blablabla

So by loveless marriage you meant this love? ok. I thought you define love to be the ability to have good sex with your partner in search of what many a relationships break and they attribute it to lovelessness..

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 14:22
Rating: 2/5
Gypsy

Real love is companionship and friendship, and accepting one another. Not fireworks and Mr. or Mrs. Rights.

By blablabla• 18 Jun 2009 14:19
blablabla

What is actual love Gypsy?

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 14:17
Gypsy

Well I would say it would help get rid of idealistic ideas of love and romance, and allow people to focus on ACTUAL love and romance.

By blablabla• 18 Jun 2009 14:13
blablabla

So what effect banning romantic movies, books and tv shows has on the couple Gypsy?

By anonymous• 18 Jun 2009 10:51
anonymous

TNBP, animals not allowed here

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 10:31
Gypsy

blablahblah where did I say that?

By mintus• 18 Jun 2009 09:44
mintus

Atleast get it right.

Reap what you Sow lol

PWND

By anonymous• 18 Jun 2009 09:11
anonymous

but you must drink wine....

;-)

do you know anything better than wine?

By anonymous• 18 Jun 2009 09:08
anonymous

AS YOU SOW SHALL YOU REAP

By CuriousButDetermined• 18 Jun 2009 09:07
Rating: 5/5
CuriousButDetermined

This is a normal consequence for inadequate systems that govern social life...

I agree with Brit, that monetary incentives will help. However, I don't think will remove the problem completely.

I also agree that movies, books, tv shows genuinely designed for profit are cancerous to societies.

They hit the roots of the societies (teenagers) and make a lot of damage to people, society's most important resource. In many cases, problems generated by actions committed as a result of watching movies, tv ads etc. last for a very long time in such a way recovery is nearly impossible and in such cases, hope is fading away, and the person becomes an added weight to the society.

it is for this reason, in addition to others, which makes me against absolute freedom in humans act especially on regulations of relationships.

By blablabla• 18 Jun 2009 09:00
blablabla

Gypsy, by this you want to force the couple to love when they cann't naturally?

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 08:38
Gypsy

Nah. Ban romantic movies, books and tv shows. It's these unrealistic ideals that are causing the problems.

By britexpat• 18 Jun 2009 08:35
britexpat

Easiest way to go back - Give married couples better tax breaks and get rid of the PC brigade from the government.

By Gypsy• 18 Jun 2009 08:34
Gypsy

I agree completely. Problem is, is anyone going to listen to him?

Also, there's a mild threat that we would go back to the past situation of people caught in horrible, loveless marriages and are unable to divorce, which is equally as hard on the children.

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