On behalf of The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A.
People seem to enjoy hearing marriage and divorce statistics, but one long-held statistic doesn’t seem
to be holding anymore. That’s the one that says that about half of all married couples will end in
divorce. That was true in the 1970s, but that doesn’t seem to hold true anymore. According to new data
reported in the Washington Post, the new rate seems to be that about a third of marriages will fail, but
your chances are higher if you fall into certain categories.
The data cited in the piece shows that if you have college-level education, your chances of divorce
decrease by about 10%. People who have an educational level of high school or less are divorcing
around 40% of the time, which is still better than 50%.
The data also breaks things down by race. Due to current socioeconomic pressures, some races have a
higher or lower divorce rate. The divorce rate among white people is firmly stuck in the middle of the
pack at around 38%. Hispanic people divorce around 30% of the time and Asians have the lowest
divorce rate of all, around 18%. On the other direction, African Americans divorce around 42% of the
time, and Native Americans have the highest divorce rates at around 45%.
Why the overall change in the divorce rate? Some say that it is because fewer people are getting
married at all. The stigma of living together long-term without getting married isn’t as nearly as strong
as it once was. While marriage does bring many legal benefits, many of the kids who grew up in those
high-divorce years of the 70s and 80s seem to have decided to either learn from their parent’s mistakes
and from strong marriages or just avoid marriage completely.
That’s not to say that marriage doesn’t have statistical advantages. The CDC says that the likelihood of
a cohabitating couple breaking up within five years is over twice as high as a couple that marries
before living together. That trend also seems to hold over time as well. The same study also says that
about half of divorced women remarry again, down from 65% 1950s. Many couples are also choosing
to separate yet stay married rather than going through the divorce process.
Here are some other divorce statistics you may find interesting.
- Long commutes (over 45 minutes) are a contributor to divorce. (Umea University)
- Extreme weight loss, such as after bariatric surgery, can cause the chances for divorce to climb
quite high. Bariatric surgery requires strict aftercare, so this is likely due to the change in diet
and lifestyle both partners must undergo to make the change stick. (HealthCentral.com) - Are you worried that your adulterous partner will end up with a happy life after your divorce?
It’s not likely. 75% of those who marry their mistress or affair partner after divorcing their
spouse end up divorcing their affair partner as well. (Therapist and author Holly Hein)
While statistics are interesting, they can’t capture the complexity of divorces. Every situation is unique
and requires personal care. Many factors often contribute to the decision to hire a divorce lawyer.
Since Florida is a no-fault divorce state, you don’t need a specific reason to get a divorce. However,
you still need a lawyer on your side that can help. Call Gustavo E. Frances today for a free consultation
if you have any questions about family law in the State of Florida.
