It seems like all we hear these days are so-called “divorce horror stories.” Not only that, but the media seems to be constantly printing stories about modern divorce rates being close to 40 or 50 percent. However, in 2015, divorce rates dropped to their lowest levels in many years.
For every 1,000 married women aged 15 and up, there were 16.9 divorces in 2015. The represents a figure that is 25 percent lower than when divorce was at its peak in 1980, when the number was 22.6.
These stats are not consistent for every demographic, and will vary based on employment status, age and education. In no demographic category does the divorce rate ever get to as high as 50 percent. However, in 2014, 38 percent of women who were employed and aged 72 and older had at one point been married and gotten a divorce. The percentage was for people of younger ages, which is understandable considering that younger people may not have reached the time when they decide to get a divorce yet or not.
It isn’t clear why fewer Americans are getting divorced, but it could have something to do with the fact that numerous Americans are not getting married until they are older. Furthermore, others are not getting married at all, meaning divorces will be unnecessary.
Just because divorce rates are down does not mean that a spouse in a toxic union should delay the decision to end a marriage one more day. Tennessee spouses who know that it’s time to free themselves of a psychologically damaging relationship and want to start their lives anew, may want to speak with an experienced divorce attorney as soon as possible to discuss their legal rights and options.
Source: Glamour, “The Divorce Rate Is the Lowest It's Been in a Generation,” Suzannah Weiss, Nov. 21, 2016
