INTRIGUING DIVORCE FACTS THAT SHINE NEW LIGHT ON ENDING A MARRIAGE

To some extent, people the world over tend to have a greater fascination with divorce than they do marriage. While celebrity marriages do capture our attention, as shown with every royal wedding, most people keep talking about and keep looking for celebrity divorces. Why is that? There is just something about the ending of a marriage that intrigues our society. Everything only gets more interesting with a closer look at some curious divorce facts.

A few interesting divorce facts you probably did not know or realize are:

  • Divorce is not as common as you think: For a while in America, the divorce rate was hovering famously around 50%. Today, that number is starting to decline, down to 40-to-45%, depending on where you look.
  • Breakups are prolific: Along the same thread, divorces are more noticeable because they end a marriage, but they are not nearly as common as breakups. Indeed, a couple who marries has about a one-in-five chance of divorcing in the first five years, but a cohabitating couple has a one-in-two chance of parting ways in the first five years.
  • Divorce is bad for Presidency: Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are the only two American Presidents in history who have been divorced.
  • Big expenses do not help: According to a PBS article from 2015, divorce rates spike 350% for couples who spend more than $20,000 on a wedding, compared to those who spend less than that amount. There is also a predictable rise in divorce rates for couples who spend more than $2,000 on engagement rings. Money really cannot buy you love, it seems.
  • Work stress is marriage stress: People who feel stressed in the workplace are more likely to take their problems home and gradually inch their way to divorce. The situation is only exacerbated if one or both spouses have work commutes in excess of 45 minutes.
  • Gray divorce on the rise: More and more people in their elder years are filing for divorce than ever before. Approximately one-in-four divorces in the country are filed by people over the age of 50.
  • Beware financial fights: Every married couple disagrees or gets into an argument from time to time. However, fighting over money is one of the leading causes of divorce, whereas fighting over most other topics is not typically considered an indicator of a divorce on the horizon.

As interesting as these divorce facts might be, it is important not to read too far into them. That is to say, do not think you are destined for divorce if you are over 50 and had a $25,000 wedding ceremony. It is merely intriguing to see trends in divorce and how they change across years and generations.

At the same time, if you do know you want to file for divorce or have questions in the middle of a family law dispute, you can come to Weis Law Group in Columbus, Ohio for legal guidance and counsel. We are backed by years of experience and supported by the knowledgeability of Attorney Amy Weis, who is a Certified Specialist in Family Law. Your best interests are our top priorities.

We would be happy to hear from you and see how we can help you with your divorce and related legal matters. Call (614) 732-5566 to schedule an initial case evaluation.