Informative Divorce Statistics

Although divorce statistics do not necessarily impact a particular divorce case, they are informative and sometimes even instructive. There are some divorce statistics that can aid in putting a particular marriage dissolution case into perspective.

Divorce Rates by Number of Marriages

Statistically, a divorce is more likely the more often a person weds. The divorce rate among people on their first marriage in the United States is between 45 to 50 percent. The divorce rate among individuals on their second marriage is approximately 60 to 67 percent. The rate of divorce of people on their third marriage is between 70 and 73 percent. The divorce rate continues to rise for consecutive marriages after the third one.

Divorce Rates Among Couples With and Without Children

A couple with children is more likely to stay married. In fact, there is truth to the cliché that many people stay married for the sake of the children.

About 40 percent of couples with children divorce. On the other hand, 60 percent of couples without children divorce.

Divorce Rates Over Time

Many people presume the divorce rate is always on the rise. In fact, over the past 30 years, divorce rates in the United States have dropped a slight amount. From 1991 to 2010 the divorce rate in the United States dropped about 0.1 percent. The rate has continued to drop slightly since that time as well.

Divorce Rates by State

The state with the lowest divorce rate in the United States is Massachusetts. The state with the highest divorce rate is Nevada. The primary reason Nevada has the highest divorce rate in the country is because that state has fairly lax divorce laws. In other words, it is easier to divorce in Nevada than in some other U.S. states. People come to Nevada in some cases to obtain a quicker, easier divorce.

Average Age for First Divorce

The average age of men who divorce for the first time is about 30.5 years. The average age of women who divorce for the first time is 29 years.

Retain Legal Counsel

No matter the demographics associated with the parties to a particular divorce case, a person seeking to end a marriage best protects his or her rights and interests by retaining legal counsel. Typically, an attorney charges no fee for an initial consultation in a divorce case. A person should be proactive in scheduling an initial consultation.