Divorce figures show more marriages involving children broke down in the 1960s than in 2012 The decision to divorce back in the '60s would have been a difficult one for women, with no laws on property settlements or custody agreements. HARD-DRINKING, chain smoking, philandering Don Draper from the Mad Men television series could be the poster boy for Australian ­divorces in the 1960s. Surprises in the Australian Bureau of Statistics 1962 data include a higher percentage of couples with children divorced in 1962 than in 2012, and a larger percentage of women instigated the divorces. While changes in family law over the decades have had an impact on the dynamics of divorce, there are sure signs of Draper-style bad behaviour. Almost half of the divorces in 1962 cited desertion as the reason, more than 20 per cent cited adultery, 3 per cent cruelty, and drunkenness played a part in scores of splits. Back in the Mad Men days more than 60 per cent of families broke down, while in 2012 only 48.31 per cent of divorces involved children. According to Relationships Australia counsellor Kylie Dunjey, the decision to divorce back in the '60s would have been a difficult one. There were no laws in place to ensure that a women would get payments from her husband for herself or the kids - no property settlements or custody agreements. Mothers were younger in those days and few were in the workplace. But sometimes women were left with no choice but to set a divorce in motion. Desertion was a big factor back then," she said. In 1963 only 7.5 per cent of married women were in employment. They earned on average 213 shillings per week ($274 in 2012 terms) and babies usually came along when the women were aged 20-24. In 2012 more than 20 per cent of married women had jobs and earned $1343 per week. The average age to have babies was 30-34. In 2012 the wife was the petitioner in 17,140 divorces and in 12,958, men instigated proceedings. Joint applications for a marriage dissolution reached 19,819.