Low self-esteem, depression and behavioural problems: these are the most common effects of divorce on children.

However, a new UK report says they are usually temporary and that most children survive their parents’ divorce and develop normally.

With more than one in four children in Britain under 16 likely to experience the divorce of their parents, the report seems like good news.

But though challenging preconceptions, does it defeat them?

The absence of one parent does not play a major and lasting role in the child’s future psychological health, says the report.

It adds that some children of divorced parents may suffer long-term problems but the divorce itself is not necessarily the cause.

The body of Ferrari-driving businessman Richard Challen, 61, was found by officers at home on Sunday.

Sally Challen, 56, who split from him a year ago, drove 75 miles to Beachy Head and allegedly confessed before being talked out of jumping from a 500ft cliff by police.

Last night brother Terence Jenney, 74, said she was “depressed” after her husband spent months trying to stall a divorce by dodging talks.

Mr Jenney said: “The divorce should have gone through ages ago, but he just refused to co-operate.” Neighbours claimed there were tensions in the marriage after Mr Challen, convicted of fraud in 2006, had affairs.

The pair, who have two sons in their 20s, were said to have arranged a dinner on Saturday in Claygate, Surrey. Police are still quizzing her.

The Recorder of Liverpool, Henry Globe, QC, jailed Mott for a minimum of 25 years.

The couple were in the final stages of divorce when Mott “lost all self control” during an argument.

The killer claimed that after returning from a night out, his wife attacked him with a knife.

He said they fell on to the marble hearth of their fireplace and she bumped her head as he tried to disarm her. He then said he strangled her with the pyjama top she was wearing.

But a doctor concluded that injuries to the side of her head were caused by a weapon and the ligature marks around her neck were caused by something other than her top, the prosecution said.

After the killing, Mott put her in their car and drove to a field where he superficially damaged the car and abandoned it.

The court’s decision may mean that wealthy husbands will be free to hide assets which would normally be included in divorce settlements, so that their wives will need to fight harder to lay claim to any of it.

It is hoped that this ruling will transform the UK’s reputation for allowing women to see divorce as a profitable deal rather than legal proceedings designed to split assets fairly.

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I suppose it depends on your relationship post split. There could be loads of humorous cards you could buy. Or you could make one and stick all their pet hates inside as a laugh. Or you could simply send a text message to them.

There are loads of theories on the Internet about what Christmas Etiquette is and whether you should or shouldn’t bother sending your Christmas greetings. The general consensus is send a card. Especially if you’re looking to open the door again on a past relationship. But don’t be too disheartened if you don’t get one in return. They may have moved on and be in a new serious relationship. Still it’s the season of good will and generally a simply card to bury the hatchet and keep old relationships on a comfortable level will reflect well on yourself.

Even Paul McCartney’s divorce of Heather Mills is dwarfed in comparison to some of the names that top a list quoted in the Telegraph’s online newspaper back in 2008. This big divorce and think Jordan (not Katie Price but Michael Jordan), Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Mick Jagger, and Donald Trump, whose wife Ivana managed to wrestle a cool $25m dollars back in the early 1990s.

The list provided by the Telegraph (March 17th, 2008) lists the following cases. The source of the information is from Forbes Magazine:

£75.5 million – Michael Jordan versus Juanita Jordan

£75.5 million – Neil Diamond versus Marcia Murphy

£50 million – Steven Spielberg versus Amy Irving

£41 million – Kevin Costner versus Sindy Silva

£30 million – Kenny Rogers versus wife Marriane

£25 million – James Cameron versus Linda Hamilton

£24.3 million – Sir Paul McCartney versus Lady McCartney

£23 million – Michael Douglas versus first wife Diandra

£15 million – Ted Danson versus Casey Coates

£7.5 to £12.5 million – Mick Jagger versus Jerry Hall

Mel Gibson is set to become one of the big names supposedly about to top the list.

Chat magazine said it would contribute £500 towards legal fees to the reader who gave the best reason why her marriage was over.

Assistant editor Paul Merrill said: “Basically the idea for this competition came out of the letters we were getting from our readers who were trapped in loveless marriages which they couldn’t afford to get out of.

“Marriage is a sacred institution, divorce isn’t, it’s a good way of getting shot of your bloke if he’s been messing around or treating you cruelly.”

Mr Merrill denied that the competition, entitled Ditch that loser with a free divorce! was in poor taste.

The contest comes hot on the heels of a win a wedding competition launched by a Birmingham radio station last month. The winning couple spoke only once before the ceremony and saw each other for the first time at the altar.

Another couple married in the same way in Australia last year.

Chat magazine goes on sale during British National Marriage Week.

A spokesman at the Roman Catholic Church’s London media office said: “I don’t know if £500 is enough to cover the legal costs, but what about the emotional cost? It is trivialising a very traumatic experience.

“I think all these competitions, win a wedding, win a divorce, have the first millennium baby on television, are a desperate attempt to pull in readers.”

Robyn Gibson cited irreconcilable differences in the papers, which she signed last Thursday, according to celeb gossip site TMZ.

The couple married in June 1980 without a prenuptial agreement.

Oscar-winner Gibson is worth an estimated $900 million which under Californian law would likely be split 50/50.

His wife is said to be seeking spousal support, joint custody of their child Tom (the only minor of their 7 children together) and legal fees.

She is being represented by Laura Wasser, who handled divorces for Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears.

The divorce petition doesn’t give any details about the reasons for the split.

The couple issued a joint statement today saying they have “always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so.”

Sources reportedly told TMZ the couple have been separated for more than two-and-a-half years.

Amazingly, in some cultures you can actually divorce your wife by text message. You don’t even need to go to court either, simply texting your wife and telling her that she’s divorced is considered final and absolute.

A Saudi Arabian did this recently and a court ruled that his action was legal under the law. Under their law, a man can divorce his wife by uttering the words ‘I divorce you’ three times, then they are legally divorced. As technology is become more widely used, the act of texting the information rather than saying it in person is considered sufficient.

It’s much harder for women to get a divorce though. They have to go to court and appeal against the male dominated system.

Now where’s my mobile?