Divorce Today

     Today, the United States has the highest rate for divorce.  There are 4.95 divorces per every one thousand people per year.  The nation behind the U.S. is Puerto Rico with 4.47 divorces per one thousand people per year.  You are more likely to get a divorce when you marry young.  If you marry at an old age, the odds of you getting a divorce are much slimmer.  You have a 41% chance that your first marriage will end in divorce.  You have a 60% chance that your second marriage will end in divorce and a 73% chance that your third marriage will end in divorce.

 Average years it takes to get a Divorce.












http://www.divorcestatistics.org/
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_div_rat-people-divorce-rate

Problems as a Result of Divorce

     Divorce may relieve the husband and wife of an unhealthy relationship, but what happens when kids are involved?  There are many problems that go along with divorce when kids are involved.

     One problem is the custody battle.  Each parent thinks they have more of a right to be with the kids than the other parent.  Well, that is not always the case.  The parents also may come to an agreement that they both will get an equal amount of time with their children.  That is usually the best situation for the kids.  Although there are many problems that can be associated to kids as a result of divorce, most kids do not experience them.  They usually return to their normal selves after 2-3 years.  Today, 40% of children growing up in America are being raised without their fathers.  This is a pretty staggering statistic.  This means that the mothers are now trying to do both sides of the parenting job which puts a lot of stress on them. 

     Divorce can lead to other bad things as well.  Once parents are divorced, the financial situation of each parent is substantially lower than it was when they were married.  If they have kids, it makes it tough for the parents to support the kids.  When kids have parents that are divorced, they are 2-3 times more likely to get divorce during adulthood than children whose parents aren't divorced.  Children of divorce are more likely to develop health problem in their future.

     Divorce can be good in some situations.  If the parents really cannot get along and they have kids, it may be better off for the kids to split apart and get a divorce rather than stay and fight through the problems.  The sight of their parents fighting can be very disturbing, and that would finally come to an end and relieve the child of it.

I am a product of a divorced marriage and I am proud to say my life is in check and I don't have many problems.

    

http://www.divorce.usu.edu/files/uploads/Lesson5.pdf

http://www.children-and-divorce.com/children-divorce-statistics.html

History of Divorce in America

     When the British Colonies were established, there were many strict laws for divorce.  It was a direct result from the British divorce laws.   Divorce was very rare among the early colonists and it was very difficult to get a divorce.  It wasn't until after the colonies gained their independence that they gave up on the strict divorce laws.

     By the 1800's almost all states had active divorce laws.  A few hundred divorces were recorded in 1800, but in 1900 there were almost 55,000 divorces recorded.  That is a huge jump over one hundred years.

     An important reason for marriage was to be financially secure.  Women used to have to rely on men to provide for them, but as the country industrialized, women were able to find jobs and provide for themselves.  As more and more women were finding jobs, it allowed them to get a divorce and not suffer from the lack of money.

      It was getting easier for divorces to occur.  Marriages were soon able to end for the simple reason that the husband and wife couldn't get along.  There was no need for proof of adultery or abuse anymore.

     Today the number of divorces in the U.S. is staggering.

"Divorce." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.