Financial circumstances of divorced mothers relative to married mothers: is the gap narrowing?
Lixia Qu, Ruth Weston and Robyn Parker
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Contact Email:   ruth.westonaifs.gov.au

Research in the 1980s suggested that divorced mothers (and their children) were more likely to be financially disadvantaged than divorced fathers. However, in recent years, research has suggested that there is some recovery in financial circumstances for sole mothers in the longer term, although they remain worse off financially than mothers who have repartnered.

Mothers who have separated in recent times differ in a number of ways from those who separated some 20 years ago. For example, recently separated mothers are considerably more likely to be better educated and to have retained substantial attachment to the workforce during their marriage. In addition, child support compliance has increased and payments have changed from a 'going rate' to a rate that takes into account both parents’ earning capacity. Welfare payments for lone parents have also changed. To what extent, then, has the gap between the financial circumstances of lone and married mothers narrowed since the early 1980s? This paper uses census data from 1981 to 2001 to explore this issue.

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