Introduction and exposition of the problemCurrently in the United States, divorce has always been present in society but more significantly after the Civil War. Today it is estimated that 40%-50% of married couples divorce and subsequent marriages are even higher (“Marriage and Divorce”). When couples file for divorce, it is simply a formal dissolution of the marriage. Every divorce case is different and must come to an agreement on issues they once shared. Couples may have to divide assets, debts and child custody. Just because the divorce is finalized, the partners will continue to have some type of relationship to comply with the court's final agreements. Divorce rates began to increase when Ronald Reagan signed the nation's first no-fault divorce law in 1969 (Wilcox, 2009). A “no-fault” divorce simply means that neither partner in the relationship has to have a valid reason or prove that the other partner did anything wrong. Many have used the term “irreconcilable differences” where the couple no longer sees eye to eye. Shortly after divorce reform, nearly every state had some form of “no-fault” divorce law. As a result, since the reform was passed, divorce rates and high poverty have increased in single-parent families, and innocent children suffer from this unfortunate experience. The factors that push couples to ask for divorce could be many: getting married at a very early age, lower education and income, cohabitation, premarital pregnancy, coming from a divorced family. People get divorced due to lack of commitment, excessive fighting, infidelity, marrying at a young age, unrealistic expectations, lack of equality in relationships, lack of preparation for marriage, and abuse. At San Fernan... half of the document... can conclude based on the stories of the litigants.V. Conclusion Successful marriages can only fail when couples build a solid foundation for a healthy, long-lasting relationship. It is possible to build a foundation by compromising the common set of core values, interests that both share in the long term. Without a foundation, marriages fail to achieve their partner's goals or expectations. There are many solutions to prevent divorce and it is possible. Couples must learn to pick their battles and find alternative ways to resolve their differences. Many people wish they had tried harder to overcome their differences. One goal is to eliminate the “easy way out” when divorcing; then couples will be forced to face their problems and the result will be an increase in the number of families that remain intact and more healthy and stable children.