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For years Lansing residents have heard that the national divorce rate is on the rise. It was considered common knowledge that nearly 50 percent of all couples end up dissolving their marriages. In fact, the rate of divorce in our country really saw a spike in the 1970s. It was during that span that women were entering the workforce in record numbers, and many divorce laws have since been overhauled to reflect changes in society.
The decades since that time have provided Americans — including us in Michigan — with a very different picture of holy matrimony than the one seen, say, in the 1960s. But the truth is that divorce rates in our country have fallen in the last 20 years. Despite the fact that women are still a major part of the workforce, and simple divorces are still common, divorce rates in the United States have been on the decline.
Some credit this change to the fact that many people are waiting longer to get married. In addition, it may be that married couples have begun to better manage their two-income households.
While recent studies indicate a number of factors that may have contributed to the lower divorce rate, certainly not every couple in the Lansing area falls into the category of “happily married.” A decline in the divorce rate effectively puts a positive spin on the overall view of marriage in the United States. Still, many couples — 30 percent of Americans, according to the newest numbers — find themselves faced with the necessity to divorce. With that in mind, men and women in Michigan who are considering divorce should know that they are not alone.
Source: CNBC, “As Two-Income Family Model Matures, Divorce Rate Falls,” David Milstead, May 7, 2012