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Half of all marriages end in divorce. That’s a divorce statistic that’s often thrown around. And while that fact certainly holds up today, some of the latest findings about divorce trends in the U.S. may shock you. Here’s a look at some of these findings1:

  1. The divorce (& marriage) rate in the U.S. is actually on the decline – In fact, since about 1981, both the marriage and divorce rates in the U.S. have been steadily falling, dropping at least 2 to 3 percent over the past few decades. While the fall in the marriage rate is naturally a contributing factor to the drop in the divorce rate, the declining divorce rate may also be related to changing views on marriage (and divorce) in America.
  2. About 2 in every 3 divorce cases filed in the U.S. are initiated by a woman – The current theories to explain this trend propose that women’s increasing economic independence from their spouses may be a big reason that they are more often  initiating divorce these days (as opposed to in decades past). Interestingly, when it comes to women filing for divorce, studies have also revealed that Caucasian women are among the most likely to initiate divorce proceedings (when compared to women of other ethnic backgrounds).
  3. The biggest jumps in the U.S. divorce rate have been for couples who are older than 50 – In fact, over the past three decades or so in the U.S., the number of couples older than 50 who have filed for divorce has skyrocketed, more than doubling. This surge in what some refer to as “gray divorce” has led to this type of divorce comprising at least 1 in every 4 divorce cases in the nation.
  4. Married people’s age and education levels tend to impact their likelihood of divorce – Specifically, studies have indicated that more affluent and/or educated partners are the less likely they are to get divorced. In fact, some research has even suggested that partners who earn at least $50,000 per year and/or have at least a college education are at least 25 percent less likely to get divorced.

Have you been surprised to learn of these divorce trends? Do you know of other current trends regarding divorce in the U.S.? Share your opinions and info with us on Facebook & Google+.

Contact a Beaverton Divorce Attorney at Helzar & Cromar, LLP

If you are facing divorce or are dealing with any other family legal matter, you can turn to a Beaverton divorce attorney at Helzar & Cromar, LLP for aggressive, compassionate representation moving forward.

To find out more about our services and how we can help you, call us at (503) 608-7851 or (866) 930-2812 or send us an email via the contact form on this page. The attorneys at Helzar & Cromar provide the highest quality legal services to clients in Portland and Beaverton, as well as throughout the state of Oregon.

1: According to federal data compiled by various authorities, including the Census & the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)