Everywhere you turn it seems that couples are splitting up across the state of California. Is this really the case, or are we just hearing about divorce more thanks to the proliferation of social media?
So, is divorce becoming the new normal?
First of all, it is important to note that, while it may seem like more couples are getting divorced, it seems that more people are waiting to get married.In fact, people are delaying all life milestones, including marriage, having kids, and buying a home. Those statistics back up that claim, with just over half of all Californians over 18 being married, which is way down from 74% in 1960.
Now let’s look at the statistics to get a real answer to this question: Is divorce becoming more normalized than ever before?
Divorce Statistics for California
The most recent statistics from the government show that the divorce rate in California is right at 60%, which is slightly higher than the national average (which hovers right around 50%).
However, some areas are higher than that. For example, in Orange County, which sports the highest divorce rates in the nation, the latest statistics show that 33 people initiate divorce every day. Those rates may seem staggering, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. For instance, are those people divorcing their first spouse, second or third?
It turns out, about 41% of first marriages, 60% of second marriages, and 73% of third marriages end in divorce.
Therefore, as the latest numbers show, the more times you get married, the higher the likelihood of divorce. Of course, there are a lot of elements we haven’t discussed here, such as whether or not the couples had kids, how old they were, and how much money the couple earned while together, all of which tend to provide varying rates of divorce.
No-Fault Divorce
One of the reasons for the higher than normal divorce rate is the change to the “No-Fault” divorce in the 1970s. Before that, couples needed to cite a reason to get divorced. These days, irreconcilable differences can be mean many things, and many couples would rather split than try and work things out.
But then you have spouses that want to divorce due to abuse, addiction, and other issues, which further complicates things.
However, the bottom line is that, while it may seem that divorce is becoming more popular, the more alarming statistics is that marriage is becoming rarer. So, when you ask if divorce is becoming the new normal, we might see divorce rates fall as couples become more astute at finding those they are better compatible with, rather than just marrying the first person they think they’ll be able to live with for the rest of their lives. Only time will tell.
For some couples who don’t work together, divorce seems to be the only option. Whether that’s the new normal will require a few more years of studying the trends to know for sure.
If you feel that divorce is your only option, your best bet is to talk to an experienced and experienced California divorce attorney. Contact Griffith, Young, and Lass, serving clients in Carlsbad, San Diego, Encinitas, and other areas throughout California, by calling 858-951-1526 today for a free consultation.
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