Nine Years Is the Average Length of a Marriage Ending in Divorce
Anyone who was paying attention would have known that something was not right. Even months before the couple’s left for college there were plenty of signs that things were not going well.
First of all, the inventory in the bowling pro shop had significantly dwindled. While in the past the shop had always been heavy with inventory of the latest balls, shoes, and other accessories, during the last six months the walls had started to look bare and the shelves of shoes were looking empty. With a weak excuse that the couple was holding off on ordering until the big college move in of their only child, products continued to sell, but not be replaced. Even when the emptiness grew to a level that could not be avoided, the couple who owned the shop simply said that their vendor deliveries were late.
Three weeks after they moved their son into college, three big things happened. The shop was listed for sale on bowling supply websites across the country. Their 3200 square foot house was listed for sale with a local real estate agent. The couple filed for divorce.
What Is Holding Your Marriage Together?
When the kids leave home for college, what happens to you? Will the uncomfortable silence and the lonely nights waiting for your spouse to come home finally get to you? For some reason, many couples think that holding their marriage together until after the children leave for college will make the announcement easier to make. In reality, however, the end of a marriage is likely going to have the same effect on adult children as it will on young children. And since the timing of the announcement will still often mean a difficult transition no matter when it happens, it might make sense to deal with the difficult situation sooner rather than later. For the 1.5 million children whose parents divorce each year, the timing is the least of most of the concerns.
In America, statistics indicate that between 40% and 50% of all first marriages end in divorce. Even higher, 60% of second marriages will end in divorce. In fact, a divorce occurs nearly every 36 seconds in America. That plays itself out as nearly 2,400 divorces a day, 16,800 divorces a week, and 876,000 divorces a year. And while many of these divorces are uncontested and fairly simple processes, others are difficult, combative, and drawn out. In most cases, consulting a divorce attorney can make both the easy and the difficult divorces more manageable.
Child Custody Lawyers Handle the Details of the Divorce Process
Obviously, a divorce attorney is even more important when children are involved. For the parents who fear for the safety of their children, a divorce attorney can help get safe guards put in place. In fact, family law lawyers sometimes are well known for their child advocacy efforts. In courtrooms around the world, judges and attorneys work to create equitable situations for all families. In the case of child custody cases, a divorce attorney may use a team of counselors and character references to make sure that the best and most safe decisions are made. Unfortunately, in some cases, the best divorce attorney, not necessarily the best situation, prevails.
Both child support and alimony are also major considerations in many divorce cases. For these situations, having an experienced attorney can make the difference between a settlement that could create a comfortable living opportunity or a difficult financial situation. Ranging from a few hundred dollars a month to several thousand, child support and alimony payments play an important role in life following a divorce. For both the partner who is trying to benefit from payments to the partner who is trying to limit the amount that has to be paid, much depends upon the divorce hearing procedures.
In addition to these monthly payments, a divorce attorney also works to help determine how the shared property is divided. From houses to vehicles, to savings accounts and investments, the division in property is a major part of the divorce process. Instead of leaving these decisions up to chance, many individuals make it a priority to find the most qualified and experienced legal team.
