Marriage and Divorce Rates Trends in the US

The CDC website has some interesting data on marriage and divorce rate trends.  These tables are from the CDC National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends.

From 2000 to 2011, the marriage rate has risen from 6.8 per 1,000 to 8.2 per 1,000.

 

From 2000 to 2011, the divorce/annulment rate has risen from 3.6  per 1,000 to 4.0 per 1,000.

 

The National Health Statistics Reports also shows some interesting trends.

The number of women currently married for the first time has dropped, while the number cohabitting has increased (both of these being measured per capita).  The report also shows an positive correlation between educational attainment and likelihood of being in a first marriage, and a negative correlation between educational attainment and the likelihood of cohabitting.

The proportion of women who were currently married for the first time increased with greater educational attainment from 37% among those without a high school diploma or General Educational Development high school equivalency diploma (GED) to 58% among those with a bachelor’s degree and 63% of those with a master’s degree or higher. The proportion of women who were currently cohabiting decreased as educational attainment increased. One in five (20%) women without a high school diploma or GED were currently cohabiting, while roughly 1 in 14 women (6.8%) with a bachelor’s degree were currently cohabiting.

 

The report also shows the median age for probability of marriage (for both men and women) between 2006 and 2010.

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Tips for avoiding Divorce

 

Sadly, roughly half of marriages in the US end up in divorce. However, the reasons for divorce are well-documented and steps can be taken to address the potential for it.

Finances, Finances, Finances!
Financial reasons are the top of the list for divorce. Make sure your financial goals are compatible. Too many couples find out later in life that they have different goals. One partner may believe in saving up for an early retirement while the other lives paycheck to paycheck and spends more than they take in. What’s more: both may believe in the virtues of saving up and not spending incessantly but one may not practice what they preach and spend impulsively. This is something that needs to be communicated and worked out.

Communication, Communication, Communication!

Financial matters above are one of the reasons communication is important. But finances aside, make sure you are both on the same page regarding other goals in life (children vs career vs traveling, living standards and location, religious expectations) and both have compatible expectations on etiquette (social life, friends of the opposite sex).

Family of Origin
Get to know your partner’s family. This will often explain their behaviors and habits. Do they come from a quiet and etiquette-conscious family? Perhaps they come from a loud boisterous family where being quiet and reserved is frowned upon and seen as cause for suspicion? It will be especially important to understand your spouse’s family if you come from different cultures/ethnicities where nuances and expectations are entirely different.

Marriage and Divorce Rates in the US - Historical Trends

As stated in a previous post, the US has the highest divorce rates across nations. Often times is assumed that  this is some recent trend, but in fact divorce (to marriage rates) started rising around 1970 and settled at around 50% in the last 1970's where it's remained ever since.

Overall divorce rates have actually dropped, but so have overall marriage rates (hence the consistent divorce-to-marriage rates).

Divorce rates across nations: US has Highest Divorce Rates

Little-known fact: The US has the highest divorce rate in the world.  Here is a comparison of divorce rates (per capita) among OECD Countries (Source: Nationmaster)

Is Divorce Unconstitutional?

One of the objections to divorce has been the role the State ends up having in what's often considered to be a religious affair.  This would seem to go against the First Amendment (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion). 

However, marriage is often regarded as the building block of a family and therefore of society.  It is regarded as a civil contract.  In Sharma v. Sharma, the court held that in divorce procedure, only the civil contract aspect of marriage was being dismantled, not the ecclesiastical union.

What is Family Law (part 2)?

As the name clearly suggests, family law is a field of law that deals directly with family issues.  While most commonly associated with divorce law, not all family law has to do with divorce.  Family law also deals with domestic violence issues, child custody and support. 

Even in the event when family law deals directly with divorce, the procedures often involve less painful techniques such as collaborative law and mediation, which helps mitigate this painful process.  A good family law attorney can provide guidance and lessen the painfulness of this process without driving you to the poor house.

Free Family Law Advice

Family law is different from other forms of law because it deals with family issues; child custody included.  A couple seeking divorce should not take this step lightly.  Fortunately, there are many good family lawyers and many of them seek to go less painful routes and handle these issues through mediation and collaborative divorce.  These methods can greatly reduce the amount of stress associated with long drawn out, painful divorces.

The best advice is to find a good family lawyer firm.  Many family law firms will happily provide some initial free family law advice.  They provide this knowing the free advice will likely ensure trust with people who become eventual clients.