Washington Legal News: Seattle Divorce & Domestic Violence Lawyer

US Divorce Rate At Lowest Since 1970

When you think about celebrity marriages, political scandals involving adultery, and other aspects of today’s society, you might think that divorce rates are rising every day. However, that is not nearly the case according to recent studies. In fact, divorce rates in America are at 40-year lows and near the rate of 1950’s-era marriages.

It is a misconception that half of all marriages end in divorce. Currently, about 68 percent of marriage last for at least ten years and those who are marrying today have an 80 percent chance of success. Why are the numbers so high right now? Many believe that people are waiting longer to get married and that more couples are getting pre-marital counseling. The highest rate of divorce are among those who married in the 1970s, perhaps because the women’s movement disrupted traditional ideas and the general idea of family.

While watching movies, reality TV, and gossip channels make cheating seem like a huge issue in marriages, adultery affects only one out of five marriages – and half of those marriages work through the cheating.

A few demographics have higher instances of divorce. Those who marry in their teens are more likely to get divorced. Those who are born-again Christians are more likely to get divorce. And those who live in the South are more likely to get divorced. Low divorce rates have been recorded for those with more education, those with agnostic backgrounds, and those who wait until their late 20s or early 30s to marry.

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