Divorce and Family Lawyer on the Divorce Rate
As a divorce and family law lawyer for over 20 years, people ask me this question all the time. I tell them that the numbers don’t lie but they can be confusing. For example, it is commonly believed that 50% of marriages end in divorce. It is also commonly believed that because 50% of marriages end in divorce that half the people that get married in the United States get divorced. Bewar, these numbers are totally misleading.
Statistics – Divorce Rate
I tell my divorce and family law clients not to worry about those statistics. You only have to survive and thrive through your divorce and family law case. You want to be focused on your numbers and statistics. Your numbers mean what is your family budget and how will we stretch the family dollars around two households while in divorce. How much will I pay or receive in alimony? Children need to be supported, educated and nurtured. They are more important than the numbers.
Legal fees and professional fees need to be utilized efficiently. I never want the lowest cost professional, doctor, accountant or financial advisor for myself. I want the expert who gets the job done for me. The expert professional balances success and litigating the case and efficiency in terms of time and money.
How many Divorces?
Meanwhile, most years there are around 800,000 divorces in the United States. For example, in my state of practice there are thirty-thousand divorces. shockingly, only 1% of those cases result in a full trial. That is 99% of divorce cases end in a settlement or a dismissal. That is a number I want everyone in a divorce or family law case to know. The chances of your case going to a full trial are only 1 out of 100. Focus your energies on what can be accomplished. There may be things that need to be dedicated and try “to conclusion.” Narrow down what needs to be litigated in front of the judge.
The US Census tracks rates of marriage and divorce. If you want to dive deeply into the data check out this link: How State Marriage and Divorce Rates Stack Up.
Likewise the World Population Review studies demographic data and produces a report with very attractive infographics. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/divorce-rate-by-state.
Nevada or Arkansas?
Which State in the United States has the highest divorce rate? The answer can vary from year to year. According to the world population review, in 2020 the State of Nevada is way ahead with 4.5 divorces per 1000 population. The US Census reports that from 2000 to 2018 the state of Arkansas had the highest average rate of divorce.
Interesting that Nevada divorce rates are high. No one has escaped watching a movie involving Las Vegas that did not include one of the famous wedding chapels such as the Graceland Chapel. Who wouldn’t want Elvis as a wedding witness or an Elvis-themed? https://www.gracelandchapel.com/. Nevada has speedy weddings and speedy divorces. Although cliche, one can imagine getting caught up in the excitement of the Las Vegas Strip. The Las Vegas Strip is filled with sights and sounds and a million things to do outside of gambling.
Why Arkansas has a high divorce rate is a different question.
“The Bible Belt is home to the highest divorce rates in the country. And Arkansas is one of the leaders of the pack. In the 2009 survey, the rate of men divorced in Arkansas was higher than in any other state. And the rate among women was the 5th highest,” wrote Scott Inman of KATV.
Why Arkansas Marriages Are Failing, and What Can Be Done.
Moreover, the article explained that statistically Arkansans marry younger. Perhaps that is the reason why they tend to divorce with greater frequency.
Age, Education and Religion
Marriage age is clearly a factor in the incidence of divorce. Similarly level of education and strength in religious beliefs impact the frequency of divorce
The average age for couples going through their first divorce is 30 years old. Couples are more or less likely to get divorced based on several factors. Couples married between the ages of 20-25 are 60% likely to get a divorce. Those who wait until they are older than 25 to get married are 24% less likely to get divorced. Those with strong religious beliefs are 14% less likely to get a divorce. The higher attainment of education someone has, the lower their risk of divorce is.
Overall, in the United States there are over two million marriages per year. In 2018 there were 2,130,000 marriages. Contrast the number of marriages in 2018 to the number of marriages in 1990 when there were 2,44,0000 marriages with far fewer people of marriage age in the population. • Number of people got married. In contrast, 1990 the United States population was 248,709,873. The United States population in 2020 is estimated at 332,639,000. By the numbers, the United States has 81 million more people than it did 30 years ago in 1990 and yet there are 300 thousand fewer marriages. That is the real clear trend. The number of marriages and the rate of marriage is way down. The number of divorces is accordingly down significantly. In a typical year there are approximately 800,000 divorces. During the 1980s through the early 2000s there were over 1 million divorces per year.
Utah has the highest rate of marriage among couples. The states of Connecticut and Maine share the title for the lowest rates of marriage. How about my home state of New Jersey? Erin Duffin of statista.com right that New Jersey marriage rates are holding steady at 5.4 marriages per 1000 Population. https://www.statista.com/statistics/206977/marriage-rate-in-new-jersey/#:~:text=New%20Jersey%20%2D%20marriage%20rate%201990%2D2018&text=In%202018%2C%20the%20marriage%20rate,5.4%20marriages%20per%201%2C000%20residents.
Free to Dream – Marriage?
Clearly, marriage has declined as a social staple over the past (30) years. I believe that creates decidedly mixed results. As a divorce and family law attorney I see how people battle through painful divorce experiences. So many tell me that they knew the marriage would be rocky. They regret the decision. By and large, we are a society of rugged individualists. It is a sign of our individual freedoms to elect to marry or not. There is a flip side, of course. Married couples tend to be wealthier than shingles and definitely wealthier than single parents. Children that grow up in the home of a married couple tend to have better education outcomes.
In summary, We are free to dream. That is the promise of America. Time was, you had to get married or you would be looked upon like an outcast. Gone for good is the stigmata of living the single life.
3 Things About Divorce That You Should Know Beforehand –https://hornlawgroup.net/category/family-law/.
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