Divorce trends have begun to change in recent years, including a number of trends that once held steady for quite a long time. One of the leading theories as to why these changes have come about is the millennial generation, who are growing up, marrying, and making decisions on divorce. In this blog, we examine six of these divorce trends and why they may be emerging.
Divorce Is Decreasing
We hear everywhere that divorce is becoming more common. This is actually false. The divorce rate has held pretty steady at 45% for a number of years, but the number of divorces every year is actually shrinking because fewer people are choosing to get married today in the United States.
Women Initiate Divorce More than Men
Between reduced social stigmas and better financial independence for women than there has ever been, women now initiate the majority of divorces; two out of every three, in fact. There are other reasons for this too, including rising reports of domestic violence or abuse.
Children Are Strongly Influenced by Divorces
The marital status of a child’s parents has been shown in studies to have a strong correlation to their future income levels and marital strength. Children of married parents tend to have a better income status as well as stronger marriages than those who come from divorced households.
Gray Divorce is On the Rise
“Gray divorces,” or divorces amongst older couples, is the fastest growing demographic for divorces, with the rate doubling between 1990 and 2009. This may be related to the previous point: parents who maintain their marriage for the sake of their children have seen their kids grow up, move out, and then decide to split up now that their obligations are complete.
Divorce Rates Differ Across the Country
The west coast of the United States has the highest divorce rate in the nation, while the middle of the country tends to have the lowest rates. There are numerous reasons for this, but one key factor may be some of the cultural differences between the Midwest states and the west.
Education, Religion, and More All Play a Role
Those who are college educated, have a more suitable income for raising a family, wait longer to get married, wait to have children until after getting married, and those who are religious all tend to have a lower divorce rates than those who do not fit these roles.
If you need assistance with your own divorce, a Rhode Island divorce attorney is necessary to help you protect your claim to your most valued possessions and obtain favorable decisions with other provisions, such as child support, custody, and more. At McIntyre Tate, LLP, our experienced team has earned numerous industry accolades for our dedicated client service and elite skill in and out of a courtroom. It is this dedication to our practice that has earned us recognition as one of the Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report for four consecutive years.
To schedule your initial consultation, call McIntyre Tate, LLP today at (401) 351-7700.