We have previously considered some of the devastating spiritual and emotional consequences of divorce, not only upon the divorced couple themselves but also upon their children and grandchildren. Sin wrecks everything it touches, and unfaithfulness to the marriage covenant reaps natural, as well as spiritual, consequences.

One of the overlooked consequences of divorce can be seen in its devastating financial effects upon a family. This devastation often lasts for decades and can even harm future generations.

Increased Living Expenses

No matter how much income a man or a woman may earn, divorce causes total expenses per person to increase. Divorce separates the husband and wife so that now each one needs to cover their own housing, food, insurance, utilities, and transportation costs. Furthermore, if children are involved, visiting rights, split vacation times, and childcare expenses such as daycare must often be calculated in the total cost as well. 

God has set up the family so that it functions most effectively and efficiently when there is a father and a mother working together in their respective roles. When this relationship is out of balance, expenses increase.

Exorbitant Legal Fees

Many lawyers make a living by practicing divorce law, or “family law” as it is sometimes inappropriately called. Some unscrupulous attorneys actually have a financial interest in tearing a marriage apart, because they can generate more fees. 

A divorce today typically costs anywhere from $7,000 to $30,000. This money spent on a divorce attorney could have been applied toward purchasing a family vehicle or reducing the pressures on a growing family. However, instead it is spent on legal expenses.

Increased Taxes

Even our government has set up the income tax forms to favor families! It is much better financially to be taxed under the label “married filing jointly” than to be taxed as two separate individuals. Our government officials recognize that the society of a country is healthier and much more stable and productive when families are strong. Therefore, the taxation system is set up, and wisely so, to reward and encourage stable families.

Divided Inheritances

Another legal entanglement arises in divorce: inheritance. Who gets the house? Who gets the savings account? If remarriage occurs, then a new set of situations must be considered, often affecting the children’s future inheritance. 

These difficult and painful questions are often decided to the detriment of the children. The sons and daughters who could have been blessed by a Biblical inheritance are now left with a fraction of what they could have had—and sometimes nothing at all.