Mary Carollo: Divorce for Millennials

While the overall divorce rate in the United States has remained somewhat static over the past two decades, experts say that a relatively new trend has emerged. In short, members of the Baby Boomer generation (currently aged 52-70) are getting divorced at higher rates than 20 years ago, while the divorce rate among younger couples has declined significantly.

According to Sociologist Susan Brown from Bowling Green University, there are a couple key reasons why older couples are splitting up more often than in years’ past. For one, many of them experienced the so-called “divorce boom” of the 1970s and 1980s, and may be in second or third marriages today. Remarriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages. Secondly, older married women tend to have more financial security than their younger counterparts, and thus have the flexibility to be able to end their marriages if they are unhappy.

Interesting divorce trends among Millennials

A change in marriage culture may be making a big difference for younger couples. According to Brown, fewer people are getting married in their 20s than at any point in recent history — and those who are tend to be in strong positions financially. She also notes that fewer young couples can afford to get married today, and so smaller numbers of people are getting married in general. That correlates to a lower divorce rate among this new millennial generation.

Couples Therapy Can Work — Even When You Go Alone

If you have hit a rocky point in your relationship, you might consider going through couple’s therapy. However, it’s not always easy to convince your partner to attend these sessions with you. If this is the case, you might still find that attending couple’s therapy sessions by yourself can still be beneficial to you and your relationship.

The following are just a few reasons why attending these meetings by yourself can be helpful:

You can share your uncensored feelings: Couples therapy is meant to be a place for clear, uncensored communication. Of course, when your partner is sitting right next to you, this can be easier said than done. By having a private session with a therapist, you do not have to worry about mincing your words, allowing you to more quickly get to the root of an issue.
You can develop a plan of action: Once you have gotten to the bottom of a particularly troublesome issue in your relationship, you and your therapist can formulate a plan to approach and resolve this issue. Having a professional help you in creating this plan gives you a much greater chance at success.
You can learn about healthy habits: Just because you go to a session alone does not mean you are unable to learn about what a healthy relationship should look like. Therapists can give you the skills you need to be better at communicating and the foundation to establish a healthier relationship.
It can be motivational for your spouse: If your partner sees you working hard to make positive changes in your relationship, there’s a decent chance he or she will respond in kind by making some changes, too. It might just be the catalyst you need to get your relationship back on track.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.