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Study: Divorce rate falling

On Behalf of | Nov 23, 2016 | Divorce

The holiday season is upon us. For many Riverside couples, the holidays represent a last chance to reconcile differences and make their marriages work. For others, this time of year makes it clear to them that divorce is the best way forward.

A recent study suggests that fewer people are deciding that divorce is their best option for dealing with a troubled marriage. Last year, the divorce rate fell for the third straight year, taking it to its lowest level in four decades.

The divorce rate is calculated with an analysis of Census data showing how many divorces take place per 1,000 women age 15 and up. Last year, the figure was 16.9, down slightly from 2014’s 17.6.

Last year’s figure is a full 25 percent lower than 1980’s divorce rate, according to a study by Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Marriage and Family Research.

On the other hand, marriage rates are up slightly: up to 32.3 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women in the U.S. last year, from 31.9 the year before.

A trend that concerns some observers: divorce rates among younger couples (ages 35 and below) are falling, while the divorce rates for middle-aged and older couples are on the rise.

The co-author of the study attributes the generational differences in divorce to the fact that couples today are waiting longer to marry than couples did in the 1960s, ’70s and 1980s. For many who wait, it means they have greater financial resources and tend to have attained higher levels of education.

At the Riverside law office of Stacy Albelais, Attorney at Law, we can help you get through divorce and its many family law complications.