Most couples who are about to get married consider many things before tying the knot. These include planning a wedding, a family and several other future endeavors. While the potential pitfalls of marriage might come into a couple’s thoughts, an experienced Tulsa divorce lawyer will tell you that they often are not dwelled upon and perhaps, they should not be.
There has been a longstanding belief that approximately 50 percent of all marriages will end in divorce, but that number might be more of a myth. The New York Times reported that the U.S. divorce rate has been on the decline since the 1980s and that the ratio is closer to one-third of all marriages ending in divorce. Still, that ratio indicates that there is still a decent chance that a marriage will end in divorce. Below are a few things that will make a divorce more likely.
Divorce is more likely to occur in August or March
As the Tulsa family law firm of Fry & Elder reported in a recent blog entry, seasonal divorce does occur. This notion has long been a belief by many divorce attorneys, but University of Washington researchers presented a published study at the American Sociological Association’s annual meeting of “what (was) believed to be the first quantitative evidence of a seasonal, biannual pattern of filings for divorce.” Their research indicated that post summer and winter holiday stress likely plays a factor in the seasonal spikes.
Divorce more likely to occur the greater the age gap
While statistics are not destiny, The Atlantic published an article that the bigger discrepancy in a couple’s age the more likely their chances of divorce become. Couples with a 30-year age difference are 172 percent more likely to get divorced. Those with a 20-year gap in age are 95 percent more likely. Ten years equates to 39 percent more likely. Five years is 18 percent more likely and one year is 3 percent more likely.
The late 20s appears to be the best age to get married
Another research study, this one led by a University of Utah researcher, indicates that those who marry in their late 20s and early 30s increase their odds for a successful marriage. The same study further backed up the notion that those who wed in their teens and early 20s have a much greater chance of their marriage ending in divorce.
What does this all mean?
An accomplished and experienced Tulsa divorce lawyer will be the first to tell you that statistics alone are not a predicator for how successful or how bad a marriage can end up. That said, those couples thinking about marriage, should be aware of some of the data. The Tulsa family law firm of Fry & Elder wishes for every couple to enjoy a successful and happy marriage, but in the event that conflict emerges the Tulsa divorce attorneys at Fry & Elder are eager to help you get resolution.
Robert G “Hap” Fry Jr. is an acclaimed and experienced Tulsa divorce lawyer who is one of only 19 attorneys in the state of Oklahoma to be named a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Fry also was named Lawyer of the Year for Family Law in Tulsa for 2016. Fellow Fry & Elder attorneys James R. Elder, M. Shane Henry and Aaron D. Bundy, along with Fry, have each achieved the esteemed AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®.
Collectively, the group along with T. Luke Barteaux, Lorena Rivas, Kirsten Bernhardt, Katie Egan and Melissa Fell has helped Fry & Elder land a prestigious spot on the U.S. News & World Report’s esteemed list of Best Law Firms from 2014-2016. Contact Fry & Elder today to speak to an experienced Tulsa divorce attorney.
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