Are you looking for an attorney to assist you with filing for divorce? If so, you are not alone, as a divorce occurs roughly every 36 seconds in the United States. This amounts to almost 2,400 divorces a day, 16,800 divorces a week, and 876,000 a year.
While the average length of marriages that end in divorce is 9 years, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that first marriages usually last for 8 years before resulting in divorce. Research shows that an estimated 40% to 50% of first marriages dissolve along with 60% of second marriages.
Whether you plan to remarry in the near future or not, you may be interested to know that on average, people will wait 3 to 4 years after their divorce to remarry. In many cases, they may choose to never remarry.
Women tend to file for divorce more often than men in the United States. Recent figures show that 2/3 of divorce cases are initiated by women. In most cases, these divorces may be unilateral, or the choice of just 1 of the spouses.
If you have children, were you aware that 90% of divorced mothers are the custodial parent? Are you planning to ask for child support? While over 79% of custodial mothers receive child support, custodial fathers receive child support awards just under 30% of the time.
Recent figures indicate that 65% of divorced mothers aren’t receiving any support for their children. While the reasons for this will vary, many of these women may be entitled to child support payments. However, when they are the non-custodial parent and required to pay child support, over 46% have defaulted. This is important to note when considering that only 27% of non-custodial fathers tend to default on their child support payments.
In 2013 alone, for example, there were 6.5 million custodial parents that had child support awards or agreements in place. It was determined that 5.7 million of these custodial parents did not receive the total amount due for that year. In some instances, it is possible that no payments were forthcoming.
As a result of divorce, nearly 50% of parents and their children experience poverty. Since you obviously want to prevent this from occurring, it’s important to discuss your rights and responsibilities regarding child support and alimony payments with an attorney. They will be able to provide you with counsel and make recommendations in this regard.
When choosing to file for divorce, a lawyer with a family law firm will be able to assist you through this process. If you have children, your attorney will have their best interests in mind when proceeding. Since going through a divorce can prove to be challenging, having an attorney by your side can make a significant difference.
