New Study Delves into Divorce Statistics

As Baby Boomers continue to divorce at record rates, a new study indicates the marriage rate for younger married couples is also unstable.

In 2013, researchers from Bowling Green State University published a paper revealing the divorce rate for older Americans is skyrocketing. In May of this year, a different study fine tunes figures by documenting the general instability of the American marital frontier.

In a study entitled “Breaking Up is Hard to Count,” researchers at the Minnesota Population Center evaluated vital statistics and retrospective research that suggest a flat or declining divorce rate during the last decade.

Using data from the American Community Survey, the study proposes previous estimates about divorce in the United States were flawed. Findings from the current study include:

• The divorce rate has doubled in the past 20 years for individuals over 35.
• For younger adults, the divorce rate is declining or stabilizing. This may not be due to fewer divorces, but decreasing numbers of marriages and the increased selectivity of partners.
• The rate of younger couples living together is on the increase. Similarly, couples who cohabit are as likely to split up as stay together.

Overall, the marital culture in this country is in rapid flux. Couples in middle and older age continue to depart long-term marriages. Younger adults are more often choosing to cohabit instead of wed, and their arrangements are often temporary.

Younger adults who do choose to marry generally have a higher education level and are increasingly cautious about whom they choose to marry.

These statistics paint an increasingly unstable picture of marriage, and the relationships that lead to marriage.

Regardless of age, if you are considering an end your marriage in New York, seek experienced legal counsel. Call my firm, Bryan L. Salamone and Associates, P.C.