U.S. Divorce Rates Declining, One Article Says

It seems as if every day there is some news story, study, or statistic claiming the divorce rate in the United States is on the rise.  In contrast to this trend, one news outlet is reporting that more and more marriages are making it past their 10^th anniversary.

According to an article on TheSunNews.com, the divorce rate in the U.S. is declining. The article states that 65 percent of first marriages reach their 10^th anniversary, a figure that has increased to 80 percent for recent marriages.  Furthermore, the number of children exposed to divorce is close to what it was during the 1950s, a time in American history many people tout as the era of golden family values.

Some experts say that divorce is at its lowest since 1970. Jay Livingston of Montclair State University says the divorce rate has been declining for the past 30 years. And Betsy Stevenson, an assistant professor of economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, says that 78 percent of couples who got married during the early 1990s are still married after 10 years, compared to 73 percent of couples who were married in the late 1970s. She believes that changes to the family structure during the 1970s, such as more women going into the workforce, could have contributed to the divorce spike in the ‘70s.

The article mentions several other reasons why the divorce rate might be declining, including:

• More couples are waiting until they are a little older to get married.  People who get married in their teens and early 20s are more likely to get divorced.
• More couples are participating in premarital counseling.  A study in the journal “Family Relations” found that couples who went through premarital counseling tend to communicate better, solve problems better, and reported having better relationships overall.

Although not mentioned in the article, there has been talk in the divorce community that couples sometimes hold off on getting a divorce because they cannot afford it. When people cannot afford to hire an attorney or live on just one income, they are forced to work through their problems to try and fix their marriage.

If you are interested in speaking with an experienced Riverside divorce attorney, please feel free to contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young today at (866) 902-5290!