Divorce is a familiar subject to most in the modern world, with the majority of men and women, both young and old, having experienced it either first-hand or second-hand with their parents. This recent and significant shift in society’s culture is in stark contrast to values upheld by older generations, such as the ‘GI Generation’ (born circa 1901 – 1927) or the ‘Silent Generation’ (born circa 1930 – 1945), who generally adhered to the ‘marriage is for life’ motto. Nonetheless, divorce rates have steadily been on the incline since the 1800s and this has remained unchanged until recently.
An Unexpected Drop in Rates
In the 1970s, sociologists largely expected divorce rates to continue to grow exponentially given the significant cultural changes occurring at the time, which generally promoted what some may deem to be a more selfish attitude towards marriage. In essence, this period of history saw a notable increase in more liberalised divorce laws as well as a coinciding decrease in the cost, both economic and social, of getting divorced. The combination of these factors lead to a sharp reduction in stigma surrounding ending a marriage due to being unhappy in it, and this is evidenced not only by a peak in divorce rates during the 1980s but also by the fact that ‘Baby Boomers’ (born circa 1945 – 1965) are now recorded to have the highest rate of divorce amongst all generations.
It may come as a surprise to most then that this trend apparently appears to have been reversed in recent years, with a notable decline in divorces occurring post the year 2000. Further, between 2008 and 2016, divorce rates were recorded to have decreased by an impressive 18%. At first glance, one might assume that this may point to an increase in more successful, long-term relationships within subsequent generations. However, the data surrounding this change is slightly more nuanced.
Less Likely to Say ‘I do’
Researchers now understand that a primary cause behind the recent decline in divorce is the fact that younger generations are unilaterally less likely to get married in the first place. Large-scale longstanding household surveys, such as the University of Michigan’s PSID, support this conclusion, reporting a consistent decline in marriage rates through 1968 – 2015.
This trend is particularly observable in Millennials (born circa 1980 – 1995) who are now recorded to have the lowest rate of marriage among all comparable generations. Multiple factors are responsible here, including the rise of co-habitation between non-married partners and a tendency for people to delay marriage until later in life in order to achieve a higher income to afford the increasing economic strain of raising a family. Men and women who have graduated college are perhaps unsurprisingly more likely to follow this route, while non-college graduates appear to often avoid marriage altogether due to socioeconomic disadvantages. In the case of the former, these relationships that are pursued later in life are thought to have greater long-term success as a result of increased maturity and financial stability between partners.
At Grayfords, we understand that the process of getting a divorce is always incredibly challenging, regardless of one’s age or background, and we pride ourselves in our client-focused approach to assist people of all ages in achieving a stance of security and closure when facing whatever family dispute they have encountered. With decades-worth of experience, our expert solicitors are here to help you if you are also looking to get divorced, so don’t hesitate to book your free consultation here if you would like to find out more.