A Pew Research study released December 14, 2011 found that marriage rates are at record lows in the United States, with barely half of American adults being married. 39% of the study respondents indicated they believed marriage was becoming obsolete, and only 61% of the respondents who had never married said they wished to marry someday. From 2009 to 2010, the number of new marriages declined a whopping 5%, and the median age of both brides and grooms is higher than ever. The full study can be found at http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/12/14/barely-half-of-u-s-adults-are-married-a-record-low/.
The Pew study did not analyze the reasons for the decline in marriage rates. The down economy may be a factor, just as the economy has contributed to a decline in pregnancy and birth rates over the last couple of years. Increased societal acceptance of out-of-wedlock cohabitation and child bearing is also likely a factor. There is simply less stigma attached to unmarried couples’ “just living together” than there was a generation ago.
I personally was saddened to see the results of the Pew study. Although I am a divorce attorney by trade, I believe in the institution of marriage. I have been happily married to my wife for over 25 years, and I believe strong and stable marriages make for a strong and stable society. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that the legal commitments accompanying the civil marriage contract and the personal and religious covenants accompanying faith-based marriages generally make marriage relationships stronger and more stable than non-marriage relationships. Yes, the divorce rate is high, but I suspect the cohabitation break-up rate is even higher.
In an upcoming post, I will address what effect, if any, out-of-wedlock cohabitation may have on child custody and parenting time decisions by Arizona courts.
Copyright © 2011 by Scoresby Family Law – J. Kyle Scoresby, P.C. All rights reserved.