Divorce Trends In 2013

What does divorce in the 21st century look like? Check out this infographic showing recent divorce statistics and the topic six divorce trends of 2013. It really puts things in perspective!

(Click to enlarge)

Divorce Trends
Source: eLocal.com

Top Six Divorce Trends

1. Fewer people are getting divorce because fewer people are getting married. The slight dip in divorces that’s been noted over recent years is tied to the fact that more couples are choosing to co-habitate without getting a marriage license. If they break up, co-habitating couples may still have issues concerning property and child support and child custody that need to be resolved.

2. More women than men will file for divorce this year. A full two-thirds of divorces are filed by women (66 percent) nationwide. Domestic violence and child-related matters are cited as the reasons why women may be taking the lead in initiating divorce.

3. Among baby boomers, divorce rates are the rise. Divorce rates may be lower among the general population, but “gray divorce” is booming. We’ve blogged before about the reasons behind this spike in divorce among older couples.

4. Key factors identify who is less likely to divorce. For example, college-educated couples who have a baby after they get married, and who make more than 50,000 per year in income, are up to 30 percent less likely to divorce.

5. Geography matters! People on the West Coast are more likely to divorce than people living east of the Mississippi River.

6. A reason why positive co-parenting is so important: Children raised by single parents after divorce with a low income are likely to continue this pattern in their own lives.