GGP at a Glance No. 19 / December 2014

Separation and divorce have large consequences for the well-being of family members and for intergenerational exchanges. In France, almost one in five children whose parents have separated or divorced never see their father. Children with separated or divorced fathers often do not live with them but nonetheless see them frequently at young ages. However, the frequency of contact rapidly dwindles afterwards so that the proportion who never see their father reaches 19% at ages 18-21 and 32% at ages 30-34. This contrasts strongly with contact with their mother. With a few rare exceptions, children with separated or divorced mothers report living with their mothers until they are 18. When they are older, contact between children and their mothers remains strong with only 5% of children aged 18-34 never seeing their mother. Age 18 is a clear break-off point, perhaps because rights associated with parental custody which apply until the children’s 18th birthday.