(a) Policy.— The family is the basic unit in society and the protection and preservation of the family is of paramount public concern. Therefore, it is the policy of the Commonwealth to:

1. (1) Make the law for legal dissolution of marriage effective for dealing with the realities of matrimonial experience.
2. (2) Encourage and effect reconciliation and settlement of differences between spouses, especially where children are involved.
3. (3) Give primary consideration to the welfare of the family rather than the vindication of private rights or the punishment of matrimonial wrongs.
4. (4) Mitigate the harm to the spouses and their children caused by the legal dissolution of the marriage.
5. (5) Seek causes rather than symptoms of family disintegration and cooperate with and utilize the resources available to deal with family problems.
6. (6) Effectuate economic justice between parties who are divorced or separated and grant or withhold alimony according to the actual need and ability to pay of the parties and insure a fair and just determination and settlement of their property rights.