| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of the two major divorce law changes in Australia on the level and the trend of divorce rates. A time series analysis indicated that the impact of the Matrimonial Causes Act was negligible, while that of the Family Law Act was substantial, but temporary in its nature. A non-linear regression equation indicated that by 1979 the divorce rate was returning to a level consonant with the pre-1975 trends. The authors concentrated on explaining the change related to the emergence of the 1975 law and addressed the question whether the post-1976 increase could be regarded as indicating that the FLA undermined the stability of Australian marriages. |
