Citation

Molina O. J. Divorce Remarriage 2001; 34(1): 131-141.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J087v34n01_08

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper reports a study of African American divorced working women who received both legal and social work services at a pre-paid labor union legal services program. Thirty women were interviewed face-to-face to explore and describe the pre-divorce, divorce and post-divorce phases from the women's perspectives. Forty percent of the women were battered wives. The abuse reported included verbal, mental, sexual, financial and physical forms of abuse. The findings demonstrate a marked improvement from the pre-divorce to post-divorce phase of emotional divorce adjustment. The women went from feeling isolated, ambivalent, with a low self-esteem during the pre-divorce phase to intense feelings of ambivalence, fear, loss and anger during the divorce action. By the post-divorce phase, 90% of the women reported feelings of happiness, freedom and higher self-esteem.