Most conversations regarding divorce rate aren’t pretty. There will be weddings all over Orange County this spring and summer, and many guests will wonder if the couple will actually be making a lifelong commitment due to the high national and local divorce rates.
But how has divorce changed, what do the rates indicate, and are they headed in a certain direction? Kevin Chern, president of Total Attorneys recently stated that every state has actually experienced a decrease in the number of divorces in the past two decades. In 2009 Nevada was the state with the highest divorce rate– 6.7 divorcees for every 1,000 people. In 1990 it was 11.4 divorced people out of 1,000. Massachusetts only had 2.2 divorcees out of 1,000 in 2009. These numbers seem off from what most people read/hear about the divorce rate, right? Still, those are the numbers.
The cause of this decline is not clear. Some believe the recession plays a major role,while others believe the main reason is women’s position in the workforce. The rise of cohabitation (a couple living together) before marriage could also be a factor. All of these reasons, and others, contribute to the decline in divorce.
Discussing divorce in a “number of divorced people” out of 1,000 in each state makes these figures seem quite less frightening. So when you’re at that beautiful wedding with 1,000 people in Orange County this summer, just remember that, statistically, only about five of those people are divorcees.
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