Modern divorces have seen a few changes in what used to be a few well-established trends. As a new generation of people grows up, marries, and then makes the decision to divorce, they change a few trends that the previous generation had established pretty firmly. These changes can be shown through a few interesting statistics.
Divorces are Actually Decreasing
Contrary to popular belief, the actual number of divorces every year has been in decline since 1981. However, the percentage of marriages ending in divorce has not changed all that much. What this means is that fewer people are choosing to marry. When there are fewer marriages, there are fewer people who can divorce.
Women Initiate Most Divorces
It’s estimated that women initiate two out of every three divorces today. There are numerous reasons for this, including reduced stigmas on divorce and better career/economic standing for many women, as well as more reported cases of spousal abuse.
Gray Divorce is Spiking
We’ve discussed “gray divorces,” or a divorce involving an older couple, on an earlier blog. Since 1990, gray divorces have jumped significantly. There are a variety of reasons for this, including the previously-mentioned reduced stigmas on divorce, as well as freedom from financial responsibility of raising a child.
The Middle of the Country Has the Lowest Rates
While no region of the country is immune from divorces, the middle of the country also has the lowest rates of divorce, whereas the West Coast has the highest rates. While this trend may have recently emerged, it may in fact be connected to a few key factors detailed in our next trend.
Traditional Values Continue to Hold Strong
We may be changing as a society, but traditional values still have a strong influence on the strength of a marriage. Better financial standing, a college education, waiting until after a marriage to have a child, getting married at an older age, and a religious affiliation have all been shown to reduce your likelihood of getting a divorce. Religious affiliations tends to be more prominent in the middle of the country, which may be one factor as to why this particular region has the country’s lowest divorce rates.
Children Are Impacted by Divorce
The rise in divorces through the 60’s and 70’s has opened the door for a lot of studies on how divorce affects children later in life, particularly economically. The results show that married parents with a high income had a near-perfect correlation of their children also being high-income, and lower-income parents saw a good number of their children rise to become high-income individuals.
This contrasts sharply to single parents. High-income single parents saw more kids drop to become low-income individuals and nearly all children of low-income single parents remained low-income later in life.
When you need assistance with a divorce case, contact the Rocklin divorce attorneys at the Myers Family Law We have more than 25 years of combined legal practice experience, and have been Bar Certified as a Family Law Specialist and Mediator, allowing us to provide your case with counsel that has been recognized as reliable and high-quality. Trust your case to a legal team who places your best interests at the forefront of our plans and decisions.
Call Myers Family Law today at (916) 634-0067 to schedule an initial consultation.