As our society changes, so do our values and standards, and what we consider to be the norm when it comes to behavior. It affects everything from our choices in education and professions, to relationships, and of course, almost every other aspect of the way we live our lives. And although the capital letters of Marriage and Divorce meant here seem solid and unchanging, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both are dynamic and evolve over time, as can be seen by analyzing divorce trends and news that only last a few years.
One example is the overall rate of marriage and divorce in the country. Both of these rates have decreased. In 2016, the last year with statistics fully available at the time of this writing, the marriage rate stood at 6.9 marriages per 1,000 total population, down from 8.2 in 2000. As for divorce, the latest figures show 3.2 per 1,000. , down from 4.0 in the same timeframe. Fewer people are married, and fewer are divorced.
However, not all types of divorce have decreased in prevalence. One specific type is rocket. It’s a gray divorce, the term used to refer to couples over 50 in long-term marriages who are divorced. Tariffs there have doubled since 1990.
Another emerging divorce trend is that of animal rights in family law cases, and seeking to protect their welfare goes against seeing them as part of tradable property. Three states in the country currently have laws governing it, including Alaska, Illinois, and California, and more in the future seems a foregone conclusion.
Meanwhile, all matters relating to income and opportunity disparities, such as the 1% vs. 99% discussion, and the heated debate and law on tax rates for the rich, continue to be in the spotlight. Consider this—the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, is also getting a divorce. The result is likely to be the most expensive divorce settlement in history as well, given its status. His personal fortune was estimated at around $140 billion in early 2019, and half of that, giving or receiving multiple mansions or Amazon stock options, is up for grabs.
Speaking of financial matters, another divorce trend right now is the increasing prevalence and confusion about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in divorce. Cryptocurrencies are generally designed to be difficult or impossible to track cleanly, while wild swings in their value make it difficult to estimate fair value. These two issues are causing headaches for those trying to sort out digital financial assets in divorce cases in the years to come.
Obviously, a lot has changed in the world of marriage and divorce. Staying up to date on the latest divorce trends and important news on its own, and can also be a useful way of gauging what’s going on elsewhere in society.