Seeking Clarity and Confidence in the Divorce Decision-Making Process

ABSTRACT

There is a well-established literature dedicated to why couples divorce, transitions associated with divorce, and the impact of divorce on families. However, little is known about the divorce decision-making process. We conducted in-depth interviews with individuals who have recently considered divorce (n = 30) and asked specifically about the roles of 2 concepts in their decision-making process: clarity and confidence. Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) Clarity about a decision to divorce or stay married is desired, it fluctuates, and takes time to find; (b) pivotal moments can bring clarity; and (c) confidence (in the final decision) is desired. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Clarity
• confidence
• decision making
• divorce

Funding

The authors are grateful to the Brigham Young University School of Family Life for their financial support of this project.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful to the Brigham Young University School of Family Life for their financial support of this project.