For years, January has unofficially been dubbed Divorce Month. Many legal experts believe that the reason for this trend boils down to one idea: the holidays. People don't want to get divorced during the holidays.
Which Months Do Divorce Filings Peak? Divorce rates peak in March and August. There are a number of reasons these two months see a large increase in divorce and separation. People are less likely to divorce during the winter holidays since these events revolve around time spent with family.
While there are countless divorce studies with conflicting statistics, the data points to two periods during a marriage when divorces are most common: years 1 – 2 and years 5 – 8. Of those two high-risk periods, there are two years in particular that stand out as the most common years for divorce — years 7 and 8.
A few of the top reasons to file for divorce in January include: Being prepared for the next tax year – Most divorces are completed within a year. By filing in January, then, a spouse can increase the odds of qualifying to file as head of household or single for the next tax year.
According to relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW, as it turns out, the first year really is the hardest—even if you've already lived together. In fact, it often doesn't matter if you've been together for multiple years, the start of married life is still tricky.
It is no surprise, then, that marital infidelity is a leading cause of divorce. Just how common is marital infidelity? According to a study from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, as many as 25 percent of married men and 15 percent of married women have had extramarital affairs.
What is the average length of marriage? On average, the length of a marriage in the U.S. is seven to eight years. Some states have a higher rate than others, but the divorce rate for the country is around 50%.
Elementary school age (6–12) This is arguably the toughest age for children to deal with the separation or divorce of their parents.
The average age for newly married couples going through their first divorce in the United States is 30 years old. About 34% of all divorces initiate spouses aged 25 to 29. The percentage of people 55 to 64 years old who got divorced for the first time is about 43%.
Men generally remarry faster than women do after a divorce. Caucasians are more likely to remarry faster than any other racial demographic in both genders. The median amount of time that it takes someone to get married after a divorce is 3.7 years, which has been fairly stable since 1950.
In 2020, the median length from marriage to separation in Australia was 8.4 years. In the same year, the median duration of marriage to divorce was 12.1 years.
Statistics reveal that up to 33% of all Australian marriages are expected to end in divorce [1], and countless more relationships fall by the way side.
Wolfinger noted that the results from the NSFG data show that people who get married between the ages of 28 and 32 are the least likely to get divorced. RELATED: Doing This Together Led 20 Percent of Couples to Divorce in New Survey.
A study led by the American Sociological Association determined that nearly 70% of divorces are initiated by women. And the percentage of college-educated American women who initiated divorce is even higher.
Waite examined the couples who rated their marriage as “life in hell.” Of the couples who stayed married, 78 percent were happy with life five years later. Only 53 percent of those who chose to separate or divorce said they were happy.
Gray (or grey) divorce refers to a divorce involving individuals who are 50 years of age or older. Many high-profile cases, such as Bill and Melinda Gates, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, have brought attention to the growing number of gray divorces.
A 2015 study by the American Sociological Association revealed that women initiate 69 percent of all divorces in the U.S. Further, the same study found that college-educated women initiate divorce at an even higher rate of 90 percent.
Although significantly lower when compared with 55 to 64 year olds, high rates of divorce persist for those 65 to 74 years at 39%, which is still higher than for the general adult population. For adults ages 75 or older, the rate is lower at 24%.
Divorce puts a strain on the financial, social, and emotional relationships of the partners. This time particularly can be devastating for women who may lose confidence, be forced into custody issues, and may lose hope of ever finding happiness again. Some women find it hard to return to their normal self again.
“Probably the only ages where you would say it has no meaningful impact is under two,” he explains. That's largely connected to a child's developing cognitive abilities before 3 years old. “Even 2-year-olds have memory, so they're aware of the change on an emotional level rather than a cognitive level.
After divorce is a very challenging and overwhelming time in a person's life. It's an emotional roller coaster ride that no one wants to ride alone. It is also hard to adjust to being single again, as well as living “out of the habit” of being married, especially if you have been married for many, many years.
And many likely do last a lifetime, because couples fall into the trap of thinking that sexless marriages are “normal.” While they are common – estimates for the number of sexless marriages range from 10 to 20 percent of all marriages – if one or both partners are unhappy, that is never normal.
The Maldives has the highest divorce rate in the world, with 5.52 divorces per 1,000 people per year.
Recording Longest Marriages
The longest marriage recorded is an emerald wedding anniversary (90 years) between Karam and Kartari Chand, in the United Kingdom. Karam and Kartari Chand married in 1925 and died in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Guinness World Records published its first edition in 1955.