You often hear that half of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. In fact, people have been repeating this claim for decades. But is it really true?
Sort of. According to some sources, between 35 to 50 percent of first U.S. marriages end in divorce. However, if you have been divorced before and get married again, the chances that marriage lasts are significantly lower. About 60 percent of second marriages end, and 70 percent of third marriages fail. Perhaps the fact that a spouse has already gone through divorce once (or twice) before and knows what it is like makes the prospect of a second one less daunting.
Divorce is fairly uncommon in Wisconsin
That might sound grim, but in 2019, there were 2.9 divorces per 1,000 U.S. residents. With the vast majority of American adults getting married at some point in their lives, that means nearly all couples made it through the year still together. Meanwhile, Wisconsin had one of the lowest divorce rates in the country in 2020, with 2.1 divorces per 1,000 residents. Overall, about 10.9 marriages in Wisconsin end in divorce.
Legal support for whatever happens in your marriage
Divorce is not predestined. Your relationship could last the rest of your life, or it could end someday. If it does, you will need to figure out essential details like child custody and property division. These could be relatively straightforward matters if you were only married a few years and have no children together. But divorce is rarely a quick and simple process. You and your spouse will both need advice and representation at the negotiating table from an experienced family law attorney.