Let's Talk About Divorce
Divorce is not an easy subject for anyone to talk about. Even if it is a perfectly amicable separation, there is still always the heartache of a family becoming divided. But, much like marriage, divorce has changed a lot over the last few years. So we wanted to look at a few facts and clear up a few misconceptions around marriage and divorce, and get a clearer picture of where divorce stands in the UK today.
Fewer Married Couples Are Getting Divorced
Believe it or not, the divorce rates of married couples have slowed now that the economy is starting to pick up. During the recession a spike in divorce rates was reported as money become a tense subject for couples, but now we are on the upswing once again the rates have stabilised. The most recent study on divorce rates was conducted in 2012, and in this year the divorce rate was 10.8 per thousand married population. This is the lowest divorce rate since the mid 70’s!
Women In Their Late Twenties & Mid-Thirties Are Most Likely To Get Divorced
When you analyse the data, you see that the divorce rate is highest for women between 25 and 29. This has been a fairly steady trend since 1950, however…
The Average Age Of Divorce Is Creeping Up
In more recent years, the age of those filing for divorce has been slowly rising. Over 30 years, the average age of divorce has been on the upturn. In fact, a study by the ONS on divorce shows that in 2012, 9,703 men and 6,026 women over age 60 got divorced. It also shows in a wonderful graph that the median age of divorce for men has jumped from 38 to 44 within 15 years, and for women from 36 to 41.
Which Might Be Why Marriages Have Been Getting Longer
If we look back 30 years to 1985, you would see the all time low of marriage length – just 8.9 years! Since then, the average length of marriages has been rising, and is now the longest is has been in decades – 11.5 years.
The ‘Seven Year Itch’ Is Very Real
The previous short marriage lengths are often attributes to the ‘Seven Year Itch’, which many people don’t believe in. However, research shows that couples are at the highest risk of divorce around the seventh year in their marriage. Here there is a 3.2% probability of divorce. No one can really explain why this is, but it is a common myth that is very much supported by data. Of course everyone is different, but the average studies show that if a couple is still married by their silver wedding anniversary, then their chances of divorce drop to just 1% every year.
Couples Married In Recent Years Are Less Likely To Get Divorced
Good news all round! According to statistics, the more recent the marriage, the less likely it is to end in divorce. If you were married between 1987 and 1995, there was an 8% likelihood that your marriage would end in divorce before your 5th anniversary, but that number has now dropped to just 5% for couples marries after 2006.
Most Marriages Will Not End In Divorce
We often see a lot of doom and gloom, so it’s nice to remind ourselves every now and then that it’s not all in vein! Contrary to popular belief, divorce is still the least likely outcome for marriage. 58% of marriages today will not end in divorce, with as much as 10% reaching their diamond anniversary and 60 years of marriage!
If you're struggling with the recent decision to get a divorce, Guillaumes divorce specialists and family solicitors can provide sensitive and independent advice about your family circumstances. Let us know how we can help today.