"It doesn't surprise me that 61% say they wish they'd gotten divorced sooner," she says. "Many people put off divorce hoping that things will get better in their marriage. Others didn't want to accept that the marriage was over for whatever reason. During a divorce, the gloves come off and people often can't believe how nasty the battle can get. This is painful, but serves to confirm the choice to divorce."

Even so, the fact that 30% of divorced parents say they would have tried harder to stay together makes sense to Dr. Shannon Fox, as well. "When parents see how devastating divorce is to their children, they often wish they had tried harder to make the marriage work," she says. "Parents sometimes end up feeling selfish when they see how much pain their children are experiencing as a result of the divorce. Parents also report that though they frequently disagreed with their spouse about parenting during the marriage, co-parenting after a divorce is nearly impossible. They bemoan the lack of control over how their ex parents, and have to settle for 'retraining' the kids whenever they return from their dad's house."

Real Women Sound Off About Divorce

Every mother's divorce experience is different. As mentioned above, some people divorce over money issues, over affairs, or simply because they fell out of love. We spoke to talk to three women about their decisions to terminate their marriages.

Later today, in part two of "The Real Effects of Divorce," we'll reveal the results of our Children of Divorce Survey and hear how kids really feel when their parents decide to live separate lives. Plus, Dr. Shannon Fox shares 5 tips to helping children cope with divorce and gives 5 signs your marriage might be headed downhill fast.