As we begin a new year, we tend to look back on trends of the previous ones. In terms of divorce trends, 2012 was an interesting year. Several states enacted changes to divorce rules/laws while others have them brewing for 2013. However, with situations like divorce, it is typically more helpful to review national trends spanning multiple years. These provide insight into issues that may be slow to develop. Only an expert divorce attorney that provides free consultations can help you understand your rights.
In May 2012, CNBC reported that behavioral and economical changes were causing the divorce rate to decline. The spike in divorce that occurred in the 1970s when divorce laws were liberalized is no more. During the past two decades, U.S. divorce rates have fallen. Couples are waiting to marry and many experts believe they are handling two-income lifestyles more effectively than previous generations did.
On a periodic basis, the U.S. Census Bureau issues a “Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces” report. In its 1996 report, 34.1 percent of men between ages 40 and 49 stated that they had been divorced. In the 2009 report, this figure had fallen to 28.5 percent. Comparing the same two years, the statistic for women ages 40 to 49 fell from 37 to 31 percent. In all age ranges below 50, there was a distinctive decline in this figure.
Experts say that Americans are getting better at marrying the right person. Waiting to marry until the best partner enters the picture is part of this. People are marrying at older ages these days, partially due to furthering their education and partially because they realize that marriage is a less-secure institution than it once was. With age comes wisdom, causing many people to be smarter about what they are looking for in a spouse.
September 2012 brought us another article regarding divorce trends. Published in the Huffington Post, this revealed that couples who shared housework were at higher risk for divorce. Though many men may have cheered when they read this, the increased rate of divorce was attributed more to contemporary attitudes and values than a cause-and-effect relationship.
Things are not all positive on the divorce rate front, as CNN reported a doubling in the divorce rate for baby boomers during the past 20 years. Whether longer life spans or multiple marriages are to blame, one in four Americans age 50 or older divorced in 2009. Since divorce at any age can be difficult, professional legal assistance is recommended.
