That is terrible - where I was divorced the judge would not grant the decree until the financial settlement was agreed (you can waive that, but it is a decision that can only be made with agreement on both sides). So, no financial agreement, no divorce.
I can see the a reform of the divorce laws was needed, but now imho it protects those who want to leave, without asking any hard questions about WHY, and how the remaining spouse is going to manage financially and practically. So wrong. We can't break business contracts in most cases as easily as we break an agreement to a lifetime commitment.
I know exactly what you mean about our spouses being more immature than their kids. Mine were all adolescent/young adult when he upped and went, and they were all a lot more adult empathetic and perceptive that their father, and remain so to this day - Great for me, in that I have three amazing sons, but not so good for them to have an idiot for a father.
I was distressed at first about being divorced, but now I am relieved not to be associated with his madness. Curiously since divorce he has become a lot more financially responsible than he was between bomb drop and divorce.
I think he realised that the pot of gold was limted!
