ABSTRACT
Far from being a special case, divorce has been a common feature of American family life since at least the 1960s. And although Americans are more likely to divorce than any other people, Western Europeans have closed the gap in the past two decades. There is one incontrovertible negative effect of divorce: economics. One study found that women experience a seventy-three percent drop in the standard of living after a divorce, while men experience a forty-two percent improvement. Although every family is different, most authorities agree one should be very careful about becoming too involved too quickly. Too much help can be just as harmful as not enough. Do not interpret my advice to be cautious as an invitation to pull back and ignore the situation. There is nothing to be gained by denying this new reality. When parents divorce, grandparents are frequently called upon to increase the practical support that they provide.
