How Divorce & Marriage in the U.S. Are Changing with Time
One topic that we’ve continued to discuss here is that of the latest divorce and marriage trends in the U.S. And while we strive to educate you on what some of the most important developments are, another point we’re trying to make is that the worlds of divorce and marriage change rapidly, and reflect a changing society. Now we’re coming up on the end of a full decade, providing another opportunity to check back in and see how things have changed.
The rate of both marriage and divorce continue to drop. In fact, both are dropping substantially enough that even with a growing population, there are still fewer of each occurring in any given year. Consider that in 2017, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, with over 36 million more people counted than in 2000, there were 157,000 fewer divorces, or a rate of 2.9 per 1,000 versus 4.0 per 1,000. Similarly, there were 78,000 fewer marriages in 2017 comparative to 2000, with over 44 million people being counted, a rate of 6.9 per 1,000 versus 8.2 per 1,000. (Population level cited for marriage and divorce are different depending on which states provide data).
Other marriage and divorce trends include the continuing shift towards accounting for the wellbeing of dogs in divorce. Three states have official legislation regarding this, and more will likely be on the way. Another issue that’s becoming a more frequent concern during divorce is that of cryptocurrency. Bitcoin and divorce is complicated, as cryptocurrency is generally designed to be untraceable, which means a spouse could hide an account, and the value shifts so rapidly that divvying it up is also a challenge.
We’re also living through what has become one of the more politically charged times in history. Politics have played a role in family law, with issues such as the legalization of gay marriage across the country and the shifting Supreme Court ideologies and the impact that can have on our personal lives, to our potential willingness to accept divorced candidates or openly gay candidates. Of course, taking into account a partner’s political leanings also seems more common than ever before, too.
As the many interweaving aspects of our country and our lives continue shifting, so do the latest marriage and divorce trends. The only thing we can say for certain is that more changes are assuredly ahead.