ABSTRACT
This study analyzes Weitzman’s suggestion that men average a 42 percent gain and women a 73 percent decline in standard of living in the first year after divorce. A cross-sectional GSS data set of white respondents for 1983–87 is used. Family incomes of divorced women and men are compared with their married counterparts for five SES categories. For both genders, incomes of divorced persons are lower than incomes of married persons. Family incomes are regressed against a set of control variables and a marital status variable. The marital status variable was statistically significant in determining family incomes for both genders.
