Falling Divorce In The Midst Of The Pandemic
No one predicted this one! All the experts were certain that divorce rates would skyrocket during the Pandemic.
Bowling Green State University’s Center for Family and Demographic Research performed a study, Florida Marriages and Divorces represented the largest pool of data, detailing divorce expectations at the beginning of the Pandemic, and the current reality.
Florida Marriages between March to September were 33% lower than researchers projected based on several years’ trends.
Divorces in Florida dropped 28%.
It is speculated that the decline in Divorce is not because married couples were happier being locked down. Rather, unhappy couples stayed together for more practical reasons, given the pandemic.
“Divorce can be expensive, and couples may be reluctant while facing economic uncertainty and/or health issues,” said Manning, a sociology professor who’s director of the Center for Family and Demographic Research. “These folks may feel ‘stuck’ and they could be delaying divorce until life feels more normal.”
For years, both divorce and marriage rates have been in decline as Americans re-evaluate the entire institution of marriage. The younger generations are getting married older, and opt for living together, out of matrimony. Statistically, new marriages skew towards those with higher income, and higher education.
One of the more obvious reasons for a decline in both marriages and divorces, is govern offices being closed, and the simple logistics of getting in for marriage licenses and court dates. As Florida opens up, however, we are not seeing the expected increase in divorces and marriages. Many thought there would be a surge in both.
Simple divorces where couples can agree to the outstanding issues between them in the dissolution of their marriage, have been able to proceed as normal, however the backlog in the court, somewhat eased by video conferencing, indicate that divorce, and especially custody disputes, are going to take more time than pre-pandemic days. It appears that it pays to try to work out disputes before heading to court, settling your differences as much as possible, so that when you file, a minimum of court time is required.
Brandon Legal Group, can help facilitate your divorce in a more rational, and calm manner through a process known as collaborative divorce.
Brandon Legal Group
1209 Lakeside Drive
Brandon FL, 33510
Phone: (813)-902-3576
Email: service@brandonlegalgroup.com
