Looking Into Divorce in US from Socio-Economic Aspect

By: michael23 | Posted: 28th December 2010

The experience of divorce is very traumatic in any couple’s life. However, sometimes marriage doesn’t seem to work no matter how much effort is put. The situation finally culminates to a legal separation or divorce. In USA, laws related to divorce varies from state to state. Moreover, divorce is a matter of each individual state and not federal.

There has been an extensive study made by John Crouch, J.D., with Monika Scoville, J.D., L.L.M., Richard Beaulieu, Ashley Sharpe, Kristen Thrine, Scott Dukat et al based on European and US divorce trends. There have been some interesting correlations as output of the study. It has been observed that a higher waiting period for divorce culminated to reduced divorce rates. The waiting period varies from 0-2 years in US and 0-6 years in Europe. Enforced law has strong positive correlation with low divorce rates. Some other factors affecting divorce are:-

• Geographical distribution- Geographic distribution of low income married couples like for instance three quarters of all Hispanic couples live in South Western US while majority of low income black couples live in southern USA. In contrast 37% of low income white couples are spread across rural USA.

• Age of population-Young couples are more likely to have lower level of incomes compared to couple married at higher age. This is because young people are beginning their careers.

• Modernity- In a study made by Karney et al.,2003 in florida found that low income couples spend more time together than their affluent counterparts.

• Financial condition- in low economic spectrum of married couples, maintaining marriage seemed to be a problem. (Married and poor: basic characteristics of economically disadvantaged couples in US by David J. Fein).

• Education- Women with lower education are at higher rate of divorce than their educated counterparts. At every level of education black Afro-American women are at higher risk of marital problem after their first 15 year from the date of marriage.

It is quite evident that there is a complex socio economic perspective that plays an important role in divorce. As a result it is important that the law tries to take into consideration all aspects that have culminated to a divorce.

Divorce in itself is another costly affair in terms of time and money. The couples may be required to attend court proceedings. There are other legal aspects repeated to divorce like-child custody, partition of property, alimony, etc.

New York is the home for the largest African American and Asian American ethnic groups in entire USA. As result the divorce related problems will move along ethno-socio-economic lines. You will require a Divorce Lawyer in New York who will take into consideration all the aforesaid aspects during case evaluation.
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Tags: waiting period, married couples, three quarters, modernity, young couples, divorce rates, legal separation