Divorce and marriage rates are shifting for many states throughout the country. For people in Connecticut, the marriage rate is one of the lowest in the country, while the divorce rate sits at just about the national average. While many people go into a marriage expecting it to last for the rest of their lives, over 1 million divorces are filed every year. Still, the divorce rate has been on the decline in the past few decades. While in 2000, 4 of every 1,000 Americans got a divorce, that number dropped to 2.9 per 1,000 by 2017.
One of the reasons why fewer people are deciding to divorce may simply be that fewer people are choosing to marry. In 2017, 6.9 Americans out of every 1,000 people got married, a decrease from 8.2 per 1,000 in 2000. Across the country, almost half of people aged 15 and up are married, marking 48.2 percent of this population. Almost 13 percent are divorced or separated without marrying another partner, and under 33 percent have never married at all.
The lowest marriage rate was found in another northeastern state, New Jersey. While 49 percent of its residents are married, only 5.5 per 1,000 married in 2017. The state’s divorce rate, 2.6 per 1,000 in 2017, was also the 12th lowest in the country. In Connecticut, the 2017 marriage rate was 5.6 per 1,000 people, while the divorce rate was 2.9 per 1,000. Louisiana, Delaware and Wisconsin rounded out the lowest five marriage rates in the country.
When people decide to marry, they rarely envision the difficulties and serious incompatibilities that can make divorce a good choice. A family law attorney can advise a divorcing spouse about the options available and work to achieve a fair settlement on issues like property division, child custody and alimony.