Divorce is very common these days. Though the divorce rate may be lower than it was decades ago, just about everyone has gone through a divorce or knows someone who has. Still, there is a lot of misconceptions out there about divorce and how it works.
Here are five facts about divorce in the U.S. that might surprise you.
One: Women are the ones most likely to file
A 2017 study by a researcher at Stanford University found that 69 percent of divorces between heterosexual couples in the U.S. are initiated by wives. This would contradict many people’s assumptions that the gender breakdown would be roughly equal, or at least not this far apart.
Two: The state with the highest divorce rate is not on a coast
Some people stereotype divorce as something people on the East and West coasts of the country do, while married couples in the South and Midwest stay together. Actually, in 2018, Arkansas was the state with the highest divorce rate at 13 percent, followed by South Dakota and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Rhode Island and New York had the second- and third-lowest divorce rates that year. (For the record, Ohio ranked somewhere in the middle.)
Three: January is not ‘divorce month’
You may have heard that divorce filings and calls to divorce attorneys skyrocket in January, because people wait until after the holiday season before telling their spouse that their marriage is over. But while divorce filings may go up at the beginning of the year, one study suggests that the national divorce rate peaks in March and August, after winter and summer holidays end.
Four: Very few divorces go to trial
We have all read news reports about high-profile divorce cases that end up in court. Those stories can give an inaccurate picture of how divorce works. Only about five percent of divorces go to trial. The vast majority of couples settle matters like property division and child custody out of court.
Five: there is another way of ending your marriage in Ohio
Did you know that there is another way to end your marriage besides divorce under Ohio law? It’s called dissolution. If you and your spouse can work out how to divide their marital property and child custody arrangements, you can save time and money by filing for dissolution instead of divorce. But dissolution is not the best option in all cases.
To get divorced the right way, you need the facts
With the right information about divorce or dissolution, you can proceed with confidence. A skilled family law attorney can give you the facts you need and represent you every step of the way.
As Ohio’s premier divorce law firm, our attorneys possess the skill and knowledge necessary to effectively represent you and your interests. We invite you to contact us at 614-362-8847 or through our online contact form to schedule a consultation to discuss your case. You’re not alone with us on your side.
