Project "Divorce Victims"
Project Title
Male Divorce Victims as a New Target Group? Financial and Economic Implications
Abstract
Getting divorced hurts. Not only emotionally but financially perhaps even
longer . In the same way the risk of becoming a divorce victim concerns
immaterial and material matters. The project is to explore the question whether
men, particularly fathers, are potentially disadvantaged following a divorce or separation
in material or immaterial ways. The description of the economic and social
situation of divorced or separated individuals who are required to pay alimony
is to be based on a research literature analysis in German speaking countries and on a comparision
of the legal situation in other EU member countries.
Qualitative expert interviews are to be carried out in youth welfare offices, homeless shelters,
family and male oriented services and debt consultancies, as well as the courts. These interviews
will help to analyze the quantitative and qualitative importance of the poverty threat caused by alimony
and maintenance duties and of homelessness as a result of divorces. In the realm of a feasibility study
it will be examined to what extent and how complex the acquisition of data on income and alimony payments
of indiviuals required to pay is possible. In order to consider the views and the descriptions of the social,
financial and psychological situation of the divorce victims, qualitative interviews with individuals liable
to pay alimony will be carried out. The survey contains a feasibility study for a data acquisition of paid
alimony in Austria.
Project Management
Günter Denk
Project Team
Brigitte Mosberger (abif), Karin Steiner (abif)
Project Start
01/2002
Project End
06/2002
Initiator/Sponsorship/Grants
Federal Ministry of Social Security, Generations and Consumer Protection