This article describes changes in divorce laws in the United States, England and Wales, France, and Sweden in the areas of obtaining a divorce, spousal support, child support and child custody. Also, the article discusses the relation between individuals' values and their evaluations of the effects of changes in divorce laws on family members, as well as the relation between legal change and cultural values. In addition to providing valuable descriptive information about divorce laws from an international perspective, comparative analyses provide unique insights into the relation between culture and laws pertaining to divorce beyond that provided by an analysis of any single country. This analysis not only provides information about the laws of several Western countries, but also highlights the complex relation between cultural values and the legal aspects of divorce. To further the understanding of this complex relation, the authors' recommend that future researchers must incorporate non-Western countries into their analyses.
