Caitlin Fitzsimmons’s July 3, 2022 article “Divorce applications up as marriage hits the rock” in the Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age shared that divorce application received by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Considering that each application represents two adults, the statistics in this article are even more impactful for blended families.
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The article shares that in 2021-22, 47,016 divorce applications were received, and an even higher 49,625 application were received in COVID affected 2020-21. Black Summer Bushfire and COVID affected 2019-20 resulted in 44,432 divorce applications.
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In total, the last two years have surpassed more than a decade of divorce applications with near 200,000 people filing for divorce. When we consider this does not record separation of de facto families we know there are countless more families who are need of support.
(Fitzsimmons, 2022)
The Issue
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Click for More DetailsOur strengths-based approach and self-care model will support you to identify positive solutions that align with you and your family's values and realities. We provide a safe and friendly space to break the isolation that can be a reality for blended families and single parents. All individual consultations are led by staff who are degree-qualified and/or have extensive professional experience in family support, group facilitation, family assessment and training, family mediation/counselling, and/or parenting education. Most importantly, all our staff have lived experience of blending their own families and being single parents, and are willing to share their personal experiences. Individual consultations are a wonderful starting point for those not quite ready for small group workshops or waiting for our quarterly seminars.
Blending New Families Data
The Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded 9,380 remarriages in 2020, a notable drop from previous years that can be attributed to the pandemic. The data does not include de facto blended families who make up a significant part of our community.
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Interestingly in 2000, 16,741 remarriages were recorded. Over the years blended families have evolved and de facto marriage isn’t always included. The complexity of supporting blended families comes from the fact that each family is unique with its own diverse needs, values and structure.
Blended Families In the Workplace
Blended families also make up a huge part of our workplaces. The latest Australian Census data released in 2021 revealed 16,146 re-marriages were registered, an increase from the 2020 data on re-marriages. Again, sadly, this data omits de facto or non-traditional relationships, therefore increasing the number immeasurably. What we do know, however, is that blended family complexities impact your workplaces silently every day.