Divorce Rate Might be Lower than We Think

If you listen to news reports, you will likely hear some version of the following: “Divorce rate rising,” “divorce rate hits new high,” or “divorce on the up and up”.

It seems like no matter where you turn, you’re confronted with the fact that divorces are becoming more and more commonplace. How much of that is really the truth, though?

According to Heritage’s 2014 Index of Culture and Opportunity, divorce filings peaked in the 1980s, and have been slowly shrinking ever since. While news articles will often state that more than 1 out of every 2 couples gets divorced, Heritage claims that the fact is much closer to 40%.

Where is this disconnect coming from, then? The most likely cause of the difference is how the data is being interpreted. While the Heritage foundation claims that divorce among young Americans is quite low, the reason they attribute it to is that it is far more common for young Americans to not get married in the first place.

That same thing shows itself in other demographics as well. Fewer couples across all demographics are getting married. While it’s hard to argue with people being more selective about whom they marry, the truth is that the data itself is changing at that point. It’s similar to being proud that your grocery bills have gone down because you switched from steak to hamburger; they’re not directly comparable.

It makes sense that the divorce rate would decline as people get out of bad relationships and find themselves good ones, but it will be interesting to see if the proposed divorce rate decline continues, or if this study is merely a fluke in an otherwise strong upward trend.

If you ever have questions about divorce, or are already facing one, do not hesitate to get in touch with a skilled attorney today.

Source: http://dailysignal.com/2014/12/15/divorce-rates-may-not-high-think/