While we believe that divorce is necessary and right at times, we also believe that parents have a heavy responsibility to do all that they reasonably can to preserve and repair a marriage. This is especially true when the reasons for divorce are not the most serious ones. We don’t think this is a radical perspective to hold about divorce. In fact, public opinion polls suggest that nearly half of Americans (43%) agree that, in the absence of violence and extreme conflict, parents who have an unsatisfactory marriage should stay together.89 About one in three Utahns (31%) say that, when there are children in a marriage, parents should stay married even if they don’t get along.90 But when individuals are deeply unhappy in their marriages, for whatever reasons, it is only natural in our society to wonder if things wouldn’t be better for everyone if the marriage were ended. In some circumstances, we believe—and research supports—that divorce is the better option. In other circumstances, we believe—and again research supports—that the best option for all would be to repair the relationship and keep the family together, if possible. (We will review this research later.)