Tables

Tables for Spousal support in Australia: A study of incidence and attitudes , Working paper no.16, Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Table 1. Demographic profile (percentages) by gender: Divorced respondents (N=650)

	Females (n=361)		Males (n=289)
	n	%	n	%

Sample
Parent sample	284	79	229	79
Long-term marriage	77	21	60	21
	361	100	289	100
State / Territory
VIC	117	32	75	26
NSW	123	34	100	35
QLD	62	17	63	22
SA	34	9	33	11
TAS	13	4	7	2
ACT	8	2	7	2
NT	4	1	4	1
	361	100	289	100
Geographical location
City^* (including ACT)	216	63	174	63
Country (excluding NT/TAS)	128	37	104	37
	344	100	278	100
Education
No post-secondary school	209	58	132	46
Diploma/Vocational training	66	18	98	34
Degree	85	24	58	20
	360	100	288	100
Employment status
In paid work	246	68	225	78
Not in paid work^#	114	32	64	22
	360	100	289	100
Marital status
Single	254	71	167	58
De facto	44	12	54	19
Re-married	61	17	68	24
	359	100	289	100
Main source of income
DSS recipient	116	33	40	12
Not a DSS recipient	238	67	245	88
	354	100	285	100

Notes. * Major metropolitan cities were defined in line with Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Divisions;
^# includes those looking for work.

Table 2. Demographic profile (averages) by gender: Divorced respondents (N=650)

Females

(n=361)
Males

(n=289)

Median

Mean

SD

Median

Mean

SD

Age (years)

42.0

42.83

8.26

45.0

45.8

9.34

Years of marriage

13.0

13.97

7.83

13.0

13.96

8.18

No. of years since sepⁿ

6.0

5.84

2.29

6.0

5.93

2.26

Personal gross income

$20,000

$23,328

$15,467

$30,000

$37,622

$50,583

Household gross income

$26,250

$34,252

25,775

$40,000

$49,508

$55,307

Table 3. Type of spousal support by gender: Divorced respondents (n=644#)

	Females		Males		All
Type of spousal support	n	%	n	%	n	%

Periodic only	21	6	15	5	36	6
Property transfer only *	23	6	39	14	62	10
Periodic & property transfer	2	1	6	2	8	1
None	312	87	226	79	538	84

Total	358	100	286	100	644	100

Notes. # N = 650; missing cases = 6 (1 respondent "couldn't say" if he had ever paid/received any spousal support; 2 respondents who reported paying/receiving such support "couldn't say" if this was a payment or a receipt); and 3 cases of 'lump sum cash payment only ' ($5,000, $7,000 & $7,800) which were reported as periodic support were excluded from this analysis for conceptual clarity; * 53 respondents who had not yet finalised their property were not asked about property transfers; this did not affect the total percentages when these were disaggregated by property settlement status (settled vs. not settled).

Table 4. Type of spousal support by year of separation: Divorced respondents who had finalised their property (n=559#)

Type of spousal support	1988/1989 %	1990/1991 %	1992/1993 %	1994/1995 %

Periodic only	6	4	5	6
Property transfer only	13	12	7	8
Never paid or received	82	84	88	86

Total	100	100	100	100
(n)	(178)	(169)	(128)	(84)

Notes. # N=650: Missing cases = 91 (1 respondent "couldn't say" if he had ever paid/received any spousal support; 2 respondents who reported paying/receiving such support "couldn't say" if this was a payment or a receipt; 3 cases of 'lump sum cash payment only were excluded, as were 15 respondents who separated in 1996; 8 cases in which a property adjustment was also reported as a form of spousal support in tandem with periodic support were also excluded; 14 respondents did not report the year in which they separated); 48 respondents who had not finalised their property were also excluded; p>.05.

Table 5. Payment / receipt of periodic spousal support by gender (n=647#)

	Females		Males		All
Spousal support	n	%	n	%	n	%

Paid	1	*	20	7	21	3
Received	22	6	1	*	23	4
Neither	336	94	267	93	603	93
	359	100	288	100	647	100

Notes. # N = 650; missing cases = 3 (1 respondent "couldn't say" if he had ever paid/received any spousal support; 2 respondents who reported paying/receiving such support "couldn't say" if this was a payment or a receipt); includes 8 cases where both periodic support and property transfer was reported and treats 3 cases of 'lump sum cash payment only' as 'neither payment nor receipt');

* <1%.

Table 6. Duration and annual amount of periodic spousal support by payment / receipt (n=38#)

Spousal support	Receipt	Payment	All

Duration (years)
n	20	18	38
median	2 yrs	2 yrs	2 yrs
mean	2.2 yrs	2.6 yrs	2.4 yrs
SD	1.6 yrs	1.9 yrs	1.7 yrs
minimum	3 mths	3 mths	3 mths
maximum	6 yrs	7.5 yrs	7.5 yrs

Amount ($ p.a)
n	13	15	28
median	$ 10,4 00	$ 5,200	$ 6,640
mean	$ 14,365	$ 6,051	$ 9,911
SD	$ 13,227	$ 4,124	$ 10,218
minimum	$ 520	$ 2,500	$ 520
maximum	$ 52,000	$ 19,500	$ 52,000

Note: missing cases: duration = 6, amount = 16 (including one periodic amount of $52 p.a. which was deemed an outlier and removed); note that the values for the male receiver and female payer were included because each had a similar socio-demographic profile with the other payers or receivers; the tables also includes 8 cases where both periodic support and property transfer was reported - these periodic amounts did not differ significantly from those in which no property transfer was reported (p>.05).

Table 7. Should spousal support ever be paid? Reports of divorced female and male respondents (n=578#)

Should spousal support ever be paid?	Females %	Males %	All %

Yes	62	43	54
No	38	57	46

Total	100	100	100
(n)	(322)	(256)	(578)

Notes. # N=650 (71 respondents "couldn’t say and 1 other refused to answer this question). The gender difference was statistically significant: p<.0001.

Table 8. For how long should spousal support be paid? Reports of divorced female and male respondents (n=293#)

Duration of spousal support	Females %	Males %	All %

limited time until on feet	69	57	65
limited time until repartner	14	30	20
indefinitely	6	3	5
other*	11	10	11

Total	100	100	100
(n)	(194)	(99)	(293)

Notes. #N=650; missing cases = 357 (17 respondents "couldn't say"; the 268 respondents who said spousal support should never be paid were not asked this question, nor were the 72 who couldn't say if it should ever be paid); * 'other' includes 6% who said ‘while kids are dependent’ and 4% who said ‘ it depends’ the gender difference was statistically significant: p<.01.

Table 9. Normative attitudes toward spousal support by net joint assets (CPI adjusted to 1996 dollars) at separation (Above or Below DSS Assets Test): Divorced respondents (n=359#)

	Females		Males
Should spousal support ever be paid?	< $265,500 %	> $265,500 %	< $265,500 %	> $265,500 %

Yes	49	77	37	56
No	51	23	63	44

Total	100	100	100	100
(n)	(130)	(40)	(153)	(36)

Notes. # N=650: missing cases = 291 (100 males, 191 females).

Appendix C.
Direct logistic regression coefficients to predict attitudes toward spousal support: Divorced female respondents (n=236)

Variable	Parameter estimate (b)	SE	p	Odds ratio (e^b)

Age	.83	.24	<.001	2.29
Initiator status	-.79	.34	<.05	.46
% of the marriage out of paid work	.70	.35	<.05	2.02
Violence	-.66	.33	<.05	1.93
Children in household	-1.20	.68	<.10	3.33
Employment status at separation	-.51	.35	ns	.60
Employment status at interview	.39	.38	ns	1.47
Relationship status	-.28	.35	ns	.76
Region	-.07	.33	ns	.93
Education	-.06	.32	ns	.94
Year of separation	.03	.07	ns	1.03
Legal process	.01	.32	ns	1.02

X²(12) = 48.99, p<.0001

Notes. n=361: missing cases = 125; ns = not significant.

Direct logistic regression coefficients to predict attitudes toward spousal support: Divorced male respondents (n=200)

Variable	Parameter estimate (b)	SE	p	Odds ratio (e^b)

Age	.49	.18	<.01	1.64
Initiator status	.48	.39	ns	1.62
% of the marriage out of paid work	.05	.37	ns	1.05
Violence	-.56	.49	ns	1.75
Children in household	.46	.33	ns	.63
Employment status at separation	-.41	.50	ns	.67
Employment status at interview	-.48	.43	ns	.62
Relationship status	.08	.34	ns	1.08
Region	.82	.34	<.05	2.27
Education	-.17	.31	ns	.85
Year of separation	-.00	.08	ns	1.00
Legal process	.28	.34	ns	1.33

X²(12) = 23.02, p<.05

Notes. n=289: missing cases = 89; ns = not significant.

Appendix D: Coding Scheme for Logistic Regression Model

			Women (n=361)		Men (n=269)
Variables	Code	Response	n	%	n	%

Outcome variable
Should spousal support ever be paid?	1	yes	201	56	109	43
	0	no	121	38	147	57
			322	100	256	100
Predictors
Respondents’ age	1	20-29	14	4	7	2
	2	30-39	114	32	70	24
	3	40-49	156	44	120	42
	4	50-59	64	18	65	23
	5	60-69	11	3	18	6
	6	70-79	0	0	7	2
			359	100	287	100
Who initiated the decision to separate?	1	respondent	228	63	58	20
	0	fmr spouse / joint	133	37	228	80
			361	100	286	100

% of marriage out of paid work: women	1	<33%	140	44	*	*
	0	33+%	182	56	*	*
			322	100	*	*
% of marriage out of paid work: men	1	none	*	*	206	74
	0	some	*	*	72	26
			*	*	278	100
Experienced violence in marriage	1	no	233	66	232	84
	0	yes	118	34	44	16
			351	100	276	100
Children in the household	1	no	57	16	166	57
	0	yes	302	84	123	43
			359	100	289	100
Employment status at separation	1	in paid work	217	63	245	85
	0	not in paid work	128	37	43	15
			345	100	288	100

Employment status at interview	1	in paid work	246	68	225	78
	0	not in paid work	114	32	64	22
			360	100	289	100
Relationship status	1	Single	254	71	167	58
	0	Repartner	105	29	122	42
			359	100	289	100
Region	1	Urban	216	63	174	63
	0	Rural	128	37	104	37
			344	100	278	100
Education	1	No post-school	209	58	132	46
	0	post-school	151	42	156	54
			360	100	288	100
Year of separation	88		48	14	43	15
	89		53	15	45	16
	90		54	16	37	13
	91		48	14	48	17
	92		48	14	32	11
	93		28	8	36	13
	94		32	9	17	6
	95		30	9	20	7
	96		8	2	8	3
			349	100	286	100
Legal process	1	formal	190	59	168	64
	0	informal	131	41	93	36
			321	100	261	100

Tables for Spousal support in Australia: A study of incidence and attitudes , Working paper no.16, Australian Institute of Family Studies.

	Females (n=361)			Males (n=289)
	Median	Mean	SD	Median	Mean	SD

Age (years)	42.0	42.83	8.26	45.0	45.8	9.34
Years of marriage	13.0	13.97	7.83	13.0	13.96	8.18
No. of years since sepⁿ	6.0	5.84	2.29	6.0	5.93	2.26
Personal gross income	$20,000	$23,328	$15,467	$30,000	$37,622	$50,583
Household gross income	$26,250	$34,252	25,775	$40,000	$49,508	$55,307