With the exception of gray divorce cases, you may have heard that the general divorce rate in the United States has been falling. This is very interesting when you consider the concerns that people had in the 1970s and afterward that the divorce rate was rising too quickly. It has not only leveled off, but it has begun to fall again.
Have you ever wondered why this is happening? Some people optimistically assume that it just means marriages are working more often and people are generally happier. And this certainly may be the case in individual situations, but it is likely not the reason that the overall rate is falling for the country.
The increase in cohabitation
One big thing to consider is that cohabitation, often considered taboo by previous generations, has a brand new perception in the modern era. People are very open to it and far more likely to do it than they were in the past. As noted by the Pew Research Center, “the share of adults who have lived with a romantic partner is now higher than the share who have ever been married.”
This can impact the divorce rate in many ways. For one thing, a lot of these couples may cohabitate for a few years, realize that the relationship is not going to work, and then break up. This saves them from the trouble of going through a marriage and then a divorce. If the same relationship had played out 50 years ago, they would be adding to the divorce statistics, but the modern view on cohabitation makes this unnecessary.
What are your options in a divorce?
This shows that divorce is still fairly common in the United States. If you and your spouse decide to split up, be sure you understand all of the options that you have so that you can protect your future.