Estimation of duration of separation, widowhood, and family life cycle

This is the second of two reports on a study of the durations related to marriage. Divorce and death of one's spouse, the main causes of dissolution of marriage, are two of the most important events in a person's life. In the United States in 1994, 30.7 million, or 16.2%, of the adult population were either divorced or widowed. Among the widowed, the female to male ratio was 5 to 1! In this paper duration of separation due to divorce and duration of widowhood are the main variables under study. Algebraic formulas are derived and computer programs are written for estimating these durations for husbands and wives, and for living couples of any age. Relations with the duration of marriage, the expectation of life, and the family life cycle are also presented.