Divorce rate may be lower than previous estimates

Wisconsin residents may have heard that the divorce rate in the United States is as high as 50 percent. However, statisticians have noted in recent years that the rate of divorce is not as high as popular media suggests and that it may actually be dropping. Couples who got married in the 1990s reached their 15th anniversaries at a rate of about 70 percent, a landmark that only 65 percent of couples who married in the 1970s and 1980s reached. A New York Times report identified several possible reasons for the declining divorce rate.

Economists cited in the report suggested that the women’s movement of the 1970s changed the circumstances under which people marry, which may have had an effect on the divorce rate. Reasons for marrying now typically include love and common interests and passions. Many households have two incomes, and couples frequently share housekeeping and childcare duties. This is a shift from earlier decades when people more frequently married for economic reasons, and women typically did not work outside the home.

Today, the median ages at which people get married are 26 for women and 27 for men. In the 1950s, the median ages were 20 for women and 23 for men. This delay in marriage often allows couples to complete their educations and become more financially stable individually.

Though the divorce rate seems to be on a decline, many couples still seek divorces. The fact that both partners in many marriages contribute to their households financially means that couples tend to have more assets than couples in previous decades. Property division may be difficult if both people involved in a divorce have a stake in homes, vehicles and other assets. Family law attorneys may be able to help people come to equitable solutions regarding the division of assets during their divorces.

Source: The Huffington Post, “The Truth About The Divorce Rate Is Surprisingly Optimistic“, Brittany Wong, December 08, 2014