A new study from the University of Maryland reports that if the current trend continues, the divorce rate will climb to 52.7 percent. For many years, the media has said that the divorce rate was not 50 percent. Lately, the news has stated that Americans are getting divorces less often than in previous years.
The divorce rate is less than it was after it peaked in the 1980s. While it is true that many of our younger generation are not getting divorced as much and that on average, marriages are lasting longer, people are shying away from getting married. People are waiting to marry, and those who do get divorced are waiting longer to get married again, if they do at all. According to a sociologist from Bowling Green State University, the average age of women getting married today is 27. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the average age was 20.
So, what is to blame for the increase in divorce numbers? According to the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green, it’s the baby boomers. Between 1990 and 2012, the divorce rate more than doubled for those between 55 and 64 years old. it tripled for those who age 65 and older.
A first marriage that ends in divorce lasts about 12 years on average. It could take some time to find out if millennials will stay married. Right now, sociologists believe that many Generation Xers and millennials will be headed toward a midlife divorce.
If you are considering a divorce, an experienced divorce attorney can help you fight for your rights and interests in child support, child custody, property division and much more.
Source: Bloomberg, “Boomers Are Making Sure the Divorces Keep Coming,” Ben Steverman, June 17, 2016