The Washington Post recently reported on Japan's declining marriage rate. Short story: Men are looking to wives to take over maternal roles, and that scenario isn't very appealing to most single Japanese women:

"There is the rarely stated but almost universal expectation of Japanese men to be fed, clothed and picked up after. 'I am willing to take care of and give comfort to a man whom I care about, but that does not mean I want to be his mother,' she said."

In fact, WaPost found that women who had married were less likely than their male counterparts to remarry after divorce. The article states that post-divorce, men are unhappy and remarry quickly, while "the women are relatively happy and often delay remarriage." Perhaps it's the "burn me once" theory?

In addition to the lack of women looking to take on the mommy role, a stalled economy and a posh home life are keeping adult children in their parents' homes. A Calgary Herald piece from early August reported that Japanese parents — fed up with housing, feeding, and taking care of their single adult children — were taking matters into their own hands and organizing events exclusively for parents to find mates for their children.

"A government report from 2005 showed 71.5 percent of men aged 25 to 29 were unmarried, compared with 47.1 percent in 1990. For women, 32 percent from 30 to 34 years of age were single, compared with half that number in 1990."

It seems like everybody has got a piece of advice for Silda Spitzer, but I found the advice given by New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams to be shocking.

In an article titled "Stay With Shpritzer, Smart Lady," Cindy Adams said (among other things):

"I want to tell her — so what. She may not longer be New York's first lady, but a husband hooking up with a hooker is not reason enough to no longer be a married lady."

and

"Sex, a primal need, outpoints fear, hunger and love as mankind's No. 1 driving force. Unless you're a pig or a monk, many an able-bodied — and I use that term deliberately — 48-year-old husband of 21 years has grazed. I'm not advocating it. I'm merely saying, so what? It's like takeout food. Less work for mother."

and then added

"Paying a pro isn't disrespect to his wife."

Whoa. I completely disagree. I think that "a husband hooking up with a hooker" is not only enough of a reason, but a fabulous reason to no longer be a married lady. In my book, and I think that a lot of women will agree with me here, it's grounds for instant divorce, no discussions.

And what's with the "so what" attitude? This is a big deal. Infidelity is heartbreaking. I can't believe she is making it seem so trivial. Then comparing hiring a hooker to takeout food?! You know, a lot of married women enjoy having sex. I did. In fact, I don't think I know any who don't. Besides, has anyone here ever spent $80,000 on takeout food?

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It seems like every week we report on a new country experiencing an upswing in divorce, and India is no different. I read an eye-opening piece the other day about the rise of Indian divorce, and some of the possible causes.

The article basically said that three things are at the root of the Indian divorce boom. One, couples have more money, making them less dependent on their families for support. Two, women are becoming more economically self-sufficient than ever before, making them less dependent on their husbands. Three, and probably most notably, Western influence has become more ingrained in Indian culture, making the traditional Indian marriage not good enough anymore.

Couples want love, instead of just family-sanctioned baby-making. It seems Indian couples are in a real catch-22. The only way they can break free from traditional cultural norms is to distance themselves from their parents and extended families. If they do that, however, they lose the support structure that is inherent within that way of life. While it's easy to look at a rise in divorce as a bad thing, I think it rarely means that more marriages are failing. It means that just as many marriages are failing, but now the parties involved are empowered enough to do something about it.

The piece referenced one woman, Christina, who ran home to her family because her new husband was beating her and kicking her out of the house in the middle of the night. Her parents' first reaction was the old-style one -- they sent her home and told her to make it work. Later, Christina found out that her husband was gay, and went back to her parents. This time, they welcomed her back, understanding that the marriage wasn't going to work.

Most of us at some point in time have heard the horror stories surrounding child support payments and alimony. You may have experienced it first hand, or perhaps a friend or loved one has become exasperated trying to collect money that is owed to them. But now a recent poll conducted by GFK Roper gives us a better picture of just how many people are affected by lack of support payments.

The poll showed that 24 percent of divorced Americans are supposed to be receiving child support payments, but only a handful of people are actually getting the payments. Only 25 percent of people who are supposed to be receiving alimony actually got the entire amount, 29 percent didn't receive any amount at all and only 17 percent received a partial amount. Perhaps the even scarier statistic is that only 6 percent of people not receiving child support or alimony payments are actually fighting for their rights.

Something has to be done when only 6 percent of people not receiving money owed to them because of a divorce are able to stand up and ask for what they deserve. There may be a few reasons why this is so. I know of a few people who have decided not to go after their ex-spouse because they know their ex does not have the money the court has ordered them to pay. However, this rarely seems to be the case.

Instead, there is a prevalent belief that either the court will not be able to make the ex-spouse pay, or more commonly it is too expensive to go to court in the first place. Because they are not receiving support payments in the first place, many people in this position can't come up with the money to pay for additional court costs and lawyer fees.

Here's a rundown of the latest in celebrity divorce. Just the thing to get you through those last ticking hours at work!

In British news, Cheryl Cole, a singer in the group Girls Aloud, may be divorcing her soccer hubby Ashley Cole after discovering that he slept with a hairdresser and offered her money to have an abortion. Originally, after these first claims were made, she said she'd stick by her husband, but other women have come forward since then claiming they too have slept with him. He has reportedly begged her to come back, but she remains away from the family home in an undisclosed location and refuses to speak to him. Sounds like this one will be over before you can say World Cup.

Coming back over to our side of the ocean, Dina Matos McGreevey and former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey (pictured here) are in court yet again for their messy, ongoing divorce. Dina had petitioned the court for full and broad access to Jim's partner's financial holdings, claiming that the couple's money was intertwined, and as such she had a right to see what he owned and possessed. The courts agreed in part, saying that the three joint bank accounts the gay couple share are up for view, but Mark O'Donnell's salary, stocks, and other various financial dealings are not to be revealed for court scrutiny.

Dina and Jim are still attempting to hammer out child support and custody issues, with Dina apparently trying to get every cent that she can. I must say it's hard to blame her. Most women would probably be rather angry to have their husband come to them after years of marriage and a child born and say they're gay. As long as she doesn't go all Heather Mills, she'll probably have a good shot at custody and a chunk of his cash.

This is a fun little story out of Canada, where a woman is having all sorts of trouble getting the judge to believe that her husband has got some questionable sources of income. She has made claims that the guy hasn't reported all of his income, but the judge isn't buying it. The guy definitely sounds suspicious, though. He's into some sort of real estate dealings and owns a hip-hop clothing store. And his estranged wife says he moves in gambling circles and wanted the judge to restrict him from taking the couple's two children to certain places.

Lots of talk, but apparently no proof. The woman was granted 55 percent of the family assets, but the judge issued a joint custody ruling despite the fact that the guy at least looks a little shady. He reportedly secured a $500,000 loan without any registered security. Something tells me that doesn't happen unless you know certain kinds of people, if you catch my drift.

You would think that appearances are everything when it comes to a judge making a custody ruling in a divorce trial. Maybe the guy used some of that half million to buy himself some really talented lawyers.

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Yes, even Heather Mills and Paul McCartney can't get through a holiday without letting off a little steam. The first in a series of arguments over the holiday period began when they met to hand off their daughter. Heather accused her husband of stringing out the proceedings in order to "starve her out".

Heather currently is in a very tight money situation, especially since her former lawyers have come knocking for nearly $4 million in unpaid bills. She was appalled by the amount of money he spent on his daughter's holiday gifts, reportedly blowing nearly $30,000 on new clothes, music gear, and Barbie dolls, among other items. His choice of gifts also rankled her, as she told him that Barbie wasn't an appropriate role model and that he was trying to pressure their daughter into a music lifestyle rather than letting her make her own decisions and be a "free spirit".

Other angry words were exchanged, with Heather saying he'd ruined Beatrice's holiday by not settling yet, and Paul criticizing Heather for her media run on "GMTV" and "Good Morning America". He apparently also advised her to re-mortgage her $7 million home when she began talking about her money situation and how she currently could not afford good lawyers. She insinuated that things could turn ugly, and he said it had already gone too far and there was no going back now.

Heather apparently threatened to take Beatrice and move to the United States, where she says she's been getting offers. Oddly enough, if she has been, why isn't she here trying to earn some cash to pay off her debts?

Let's face it, the pressure-cooker of their divorce is getting ready to blow sky high any day now, and it wouldn't surprise me if something drastic happened before the couple is due to appear in court in February.

There was big news in the divorce blogging world a few weeks ago when a study was released saying that divorce was bad for the environment. When a couple splits up, there becomes a need for two apartments or houses, two beds, two cars, even two toasters. We salute the people who are able to divorce but voluntarily stay together. But imagine being forced to stay together even after the split.

This is the situation currently going on in Cuba. The tiny island is facing a severe housing shortage, estimated to be about 500,000 homes short of demand. People who divorce in Cuba — and there are a lot of them, with a divorce rate of 64 percent — are often forced to live together for years, or sometimes even their entire lives, simply because there is nowhere for them to go.

Mirta, a 45-year-old Cuban national, divorced her husband in 1997. Now, more than 10 years later, she and her ex are still living in the same two-bedroom apartment with their adult children. While many Cubans do not want to be on record as openly criticizing their government for the housing shortage, it's not difficult to imagine how many people must be affected by this issue.

The result has been a type of black market for housing, where people meet strangers on the beach, looking to swap their two-bedroom apartment for two one-bedroom units. This is a black market because under the communist rule, all housing changes and moves must be first approved by the government.

The article I read referred to this as a testament to "Cubans' ability to stay friendly — or at least civil — under the most awkward of circumstances." I guess, but I'm glad I don't have to do it.

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Daddie Duff was ordered to pony up $100,000 to estranged wife Susan for spousal support during the divorce proceedings. He's already been told to pay up another $100,000 for her legal fees, but has yet to do so.

The divorce apparently is due to Bob Duff's wandering eye and momma Duff's unwillingness to tolerate it, and rightfully so. Susan testified that she had been largely supported by her famous progeny over the past five years, and the judge did ask if they would continue to do so. Momma snapped back, stating that she was sure they would but it wasn't up to them to "pay for their father's philandering and divorce."

How awkward must that be? You gotta figure Dad probably wishes he hadn't hurt his financiers either. The two girls have already shown who they support, siding with their mother, though it isn't known if they will testify in the course of the proceedings.

So far the legal costs have been independently tabulated near $1 million, and from the looks of things this one might stretch out till next Christmas.

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Just in time for Christmas, David Hasselhoff and his ex Pamela Bach have come to an agreement on their post-divorce loose ends. What better gift to give than the promise of no court dates for the new year, right?

The Hoff and his ex were officially divorced in August of 2006, but it's taken till now to get financial and custody arrangements settled. In June of this year, Hasselhoff was granted full custody of their two teenage daughters, but today it was revealed that the couple will have a joint custody arrangement. Hoff has also agreed to let his ex stay in their San Fernando Valley home until it is sold.

Apparently the ex-couple's relationship has begun to become more civil, which allowed for the revised custody arrangement. No word on whether Bach got the extra spousal and child support she was after, though.

Hoff praised his daughters for their strength and dignity through this "very difficult time". Neither Bach nor her lawyers had any comment to make on the proceedings as of yet.

Good luck in your separate lives!

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