SALT LAKE CITY – If you’re a single parent in Utah, dreading an upcoming weekend transfer-of-custody event scheduled with your ex, you’re by no means alone.
Although it’s probably no consolation, if divorce is a proverbial hell for the involved parents, it’s even worse for their children.
That’s the conclusion of a recent nationwide study by the Farmer & Morris Law firm that found that Utah is the second-worst among states for ill-advised co-parenting practices.
That research by the law firm’s family experts concluded that Utah’s sole custody laws contributed to higher stress, identity struggles and weaker emotional resilience in the children raised in broken homes.
“The emotional toll (of divorce) on children is undeniable,” says Jennifer Hurvitz, a renowned relationship expert, author and podcast host. “It’s crucial to prioritize their well-being and create stability during these challenging family transitions.”
In the study of nearly 674,000 U.S. divorces in 2022, with more than half of them affecting children, the research showed that states in which parents generally shared custody – like Arizona, Florida and New Jersey – reported that the children of divorce have better academic and emotional outcomes.
In 2022, Utah’s divorce rate was just above the national average with 2.9 per 1,000 residents, or slightly less than 10,000 divorces. That was actually a decrease from 3.3 divorces per capita in 2021.
Single mothers in Utah are awarded sole custody in about 60 percent of all divorces, according to the statistics uncovered by Farmer & Morris. That results in the involved children experiencing only moderate time shared with their male parents and a higher incidence of emotional and behavioral challenges compared to states with equal shared custody.
More than half of Utah children involved in divorces struggle with identity and attachment issues due to unequal patenting time, the study concluded.
Of other states with sole custody laws, only Tennessee was deemed worse than Utah in terms of the emotional impact of divorce on children. Completing the list of top five worst states were Mississippi, West Virginia and Nevada.
“Co-parents face challenges in creating joyful experiences for their children,” Hurvitz emphasizes. “Families surviving failed marriages should seek help navigating co-parenting to keep children’s happiness at the forefront.”
In Utah, the most common reason for divorce is irreconcilable differences, according to the WomensLaw.org website. Irreconcilable differences often include disagreements about money, different attitudes about raising children, differing religious beliefs and constant arguing.
But other common grounds include adultery and abandonment as well as domestic (physical or sexual) abuse.
The only ray of hope in the otherwise dismal Utah divorce landscape is that failed marriages are fairly uncommon here in Cache County.
In 2024, for example, Cache County reported a divorce rate of 7 percent, compared to rates of 21 percent in Grand County, 17 percent in Carbon County, 14 percent in Weber County, 13.2 percent in Uintah County and 12.5 percent in Kane County.
For additional information about the Farmer & Morris Law study, go online to https://www.farmermorris.com/research/tips-for-a-harmonious-post-divorce-family-life/
Farmer & Morris Law is based in North and South Carolina, with attorneys specializing in family law and bankruptcy cases.