Getting through the holiday season with a rocky marriage is never easy for Georgia spouses. The number of divorces has been historically shown to increase in January as people try to stay together through the holiday season for the sake of their families, especially the children. Whether or not that trend will hold true in 2017 remains to be seen but some recently released research gives some insight into the state of marriage and divorce in the U.S. today.
Researchers at Bowling Green University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research point to data that suggests the national divorce rate is lower than it has been in nearly four decades. However, a closer look at the information reveals a bigger picture. In 1975, there were 76.5 marriages per 1,000 females over the age of 15. That steadily declined for many years and has levelled off in the last six years ranging between 30 and 35. While the marriage rate has been more or less stable for a few years now, it is clearly far lower than it once was.
The marriage rate itself could well be impacting the divorce rate. As more people live together without ever getting married, splits in those relationships that may previously have been marriages are not factored into a divorce rate.
Georgia residents who may be facing the end of their marriages might find it helpful to talk with an attorney. Regardless of marriage or divorce rates, there are many important things that require proper attention at this time.
Source: Conservative Review, “US divorce rate hits 40-year low. Here’s what those numbers won’t tell you,” Carly Hoilman, Nov. 26, 2016
