Will improved Maryland economy affect the divorce rate?

As the economy improves, marriage declines, according to a recent study done by a sociologist at the University of Maryland. The study looked at what, if any, effect the economic climate has on marriage in America. It found that a rosier economic future may lead to a higher rate of divorce.

About seven years ago, divorce rates dropped as the economy did the same. In the years between 2008 and 2011 alone, the divorce rate dropped by 4 percent. Some people took this to mean that married couples had pulled together and become closer when met with economic difficulty. They called it the silver lining in an otherwise negative situation.

Researchers now think that assumption may have been a false view of what was happening. They say, in reality, many people just could not afford the cost of ending their marriages. The numbers represented economics more than it did renewed commitment or affection.

This is not the first time this phenomenon has happened. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, divorce rates went down as well. The study claims that the change then, like now, was more of a reflection of the tighter budgets most people were working with than it was an indication of wedded bliss.

Divorce, like most other major life changes, can affect the budgets of the people going through the process. It does not matter if the couple lives in Maryland or some other state — divorce has an associated cost. That amount does not, however, need to be so high that it is prohibitive. In fact, for many people the amount spent is well worth it for the fresh start it makes possible in their lives.

Source: The Huffington Post, New Study Says Divorce Rates Will Increase As Economy Recovers, Taryn Hillin, Jan. 28, 2014