Abstract

The impact of marital separation and divorce on individuals varies widely, depending on a range of factors. These narratives of separation and divorce explain and clarify why couples break-up, how they negotiate their break-up, and with what consequences. Research is based on heterosexual marriages. I interviewed 12 individuals, 6 males and 6 females, who are separated or divorced. 2 of the 12 respondents were divorced twice, so there is a total of 14 cases, which were then divided into four groups: male and female initiators and non-initiators of separation/divorce. The different voices of divorce reflect both these variables, but also the quality of the courtship, rather than the duration, the relationship with the children and the financial consequences. My findings included that men were in general happier after divorce than the women, the women received custody of the children in all cases, but two cases of parental alienation syndrome were recorded, that happiness after divorce was affected by whether the individual initiated separation or not, that the quality of the sex related to divorce was plural, that the financial consequences for women depended on whether they initiated the separation or not. The voices are so different that further research is necessary.