Are tough economic times to blame for less divorces
Even though some indicators are forecasting the economy to be at least leveling instead of falling off a cliff, it's still a hard time out there for many people. Making ends meet has gotten harder, and for some, their marriage has become a safe zone. However, has it made it too safe to the point of preventing some couples from splitting up, even though their marriages have passed the point of no return?
When you think about the financial consequences of divorce – obviously putting aside the mental aspect of it for a minute – the numbers quickly add up. Between the lawyer fees, new living quarters and furniture, and a new car, the idea fast becomes a financial concern.
So it's no shock to us when we saw the numbers of a recent survey from the CDC that explained that as the economy plummeted into depths it hadn't seen in generations, the number of divorces in America fell as well. In 2006, the number of divorces rose to 872,000. However, in the prime recession years following, then took a nosedive to the tune of 856,000 (2007), 844,000 (2008) and 840,000 (2009). However, in 2010, when the economy was starting to show signs of some life, the divorces shot back up again to mirror the 2006 figure, 872,000 couples decided to sever the knot.
As a law firm that specializes in divorce, we are interested to see when these numbers come in for 2011 and 2012, years when the employment numbers have risen. Will the rise in divorces continue? What do you think?