As our society changes, so do our values and standards, and what we consider to be the norm in terms of behavior. It influences everything from our choices in education and professions, to relationships, and of course, almost every other aspect of how we live our lives. And while Marriage and Divorce—capital referred to here—appear 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 even just a few years.
One example is the overall rate of marriage and divorce in the country. Both of these levels have decreased. In 2016, the most recent year for which full statistics are available at the time of writing, the marriage rate was at 6.9 marriages per 1,000 total population, down from 8.2 in 2000. As for divorce, the most recent figure is 3.2 per 1,000. , down from 4.0 in the same time frame. Fewer people are getting married, and fewer are getting divorced.
However, not all types of divorce are decreasing in prevalence. One particular kind of rocket. It’s a gray divorce, a term used to refer to couples over 50 in a long-term marriage who are divorced. Rates there have doubled since 1990.
Another emerging divorce trend is animal rights in family law cases, and seeking to protect their well-being by opposing viewing them as tradable property. Three states in the country currently have laws on record establishing that, including Alaska, Illinois, and California, and more in the future appears to be a foregone conclusion.
Meanwhile, all matters related to income and opportunity disparities, such as the discussion of 1% vs 99%, and the heated debate as well as the tax rate law for the rich, continue to be in the spotlight. Consider this-the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, is also divorced. The result will likely be the most expensive divorce settlement in history too, considering her status. His personal fortune is estimated at around $140 billion at the start of 2019, and half of that, give or take some Amazon mansion or stock options, is up for grabs.
Talking about financial matters, another recent divorce trend is the increasing prevalence and confusion about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in divorce. Cryptocurrencies are generally designed to be difficult or impossible to trace cleanly, while wild swings in their value make it difficult to estimate fair value. These two issues are thought to cause 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. Keeping up to date on the latest divorce trends and news is important, and can also be a useful way of gauging what’s going on elsewhere in society.