ABSTRACT
The dominant image of divorce as destructive and damaging persists, linked closely to the social anxieties occasioned by the changing family patterns. Casting divorce in this light is what enables us to maintain our sense that 'family' represents all that is good, safe and comfortable. One of the main obstacles to the construction of positive divorce stories seems to be the dearth of alternative narratives available in culture. In relation to divorce, this means better acceptance of the associated emotional processes. The Family Law Act explicitly addresses itself to minimising the messy emotions associated with divorce. The 'good' divorce, constructed within discourses of harmony and welfare, has become the ideal to strive for. The 'good' divorce keeps families together, and is associated with mediation. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
