A Look at the Divorce Myths: Number One, the Percentage of Marriages Ending in Divorce

Here we start a monumental series founded by the basis that divorce is something more than what you really think. Yes, it’s about a marriage dissolving; yes, there’re issues with property distribution and child support; and, yes, most definitely, it’s a process that can go smoothly and not so smoothly for everyone involved. The fact is this, though – there are myths about the concept of divorce, and this is the first one we’ll look at.

Consider the real statistics, not the general hearsay statistics you might get from so many burdened people out there. You might’ve heard this in particular that one in two marriages end up in divorce. To a certain degree, it may be true, but consider this – what about remarriages? If you look at the actual statistics from way back in the 1980s, you’ll find that in fact the divorce rate has been dropping steadily since then. That’s according to the National Marriage Project.

This means that when you hear about this so-called 50% statistic, understand that doesn’t mean your newly-cemented union will have a half-chance of survival. Rather, the divorce rate as it stands right now for American marriages is somewhere along the lines of 40% to 50%, give or take a few percentages. It fluctuates. This is particularly because of the fact that people do get remarried constantly. In fact, I’d wager to think that people get married more, over and over again. That alone will drive up the divorce rate considerably, even though it’s just one person getting the petition (or the other, for that matter).

Additionally, expect this: statistics show that you may not even have to expect the guy in your life taking the initiative for a divorce petition. It’s been found that about 2/3 of all divorces are filed by women. In a way, it’s a startling fact, but one that you can consider the next time you consider a prenuptial agreement. More to come on this series of articles for your reading enjoyment.