I can tell you this. Kids need the protection of the law. And if I were in charge the law would be this: 1. married but childless can divorce. 2. married with children cannot divorce until the youngest child reaches age of majority. 3. adultry is horrible, working on a punishment for that. In summary, those with kids better find a way to make the marriage work.
I came from a broken home. A broken home implies sick children. I turned out ok. But it was a long nasty journey to ok. The lousy things lousy parents do messes with the minds of children at the deepest levels that can't even be talked about. Crazy children are made that way by their parents. Chemical or physical problems notwithstanding.
I think that your view of family is too rigid. Good families can consist of different family memebers. It doesn't necessarily have to be a husband and wife especially if they are dysfunctional together.
Some people I've known come from a typical family structure and are not law-abiding citizens. And their parents are.
What about spousal abuse? The victim has to take it until the kids are 18?