By Julie Garrison
Special to DadsDivorce.com
How many of us have known couples who were waiting for their financial outlook to be more optimistic before actually splitting and filing for divorce? Perhaps it’s even you.
While many estranged husbands and wives have managed to commandeer their own portions of their shared residences and peacefully co-exist while waiting to divorce, this is definitely not the preferred way to go. But for many, it has been a necessity.
Between 2009 and 2011, roughly 150,000 couples in the U.S. postponed filing for divorce.
U.S. Economy Slowly Improving
The U.S. economy is now improving. Jobs, businesses and other areas of infrastructure growth are on the uptick. While they are not growing rapidly, they are seeing higher numbers in the positive column.
This is good news for couples wanting to divorce. It is especially promising for couples who may have equal shares in a family business and for unhappily married couples who own a home together and have vested co-interests in other high-value assets.
“Birth rates and divorce rates are rising,” according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, Inc. “We may even see them rise strongly in the next couple of years, as households who put off these life-changing events decide to act.”
Divorces Hit Low
Five years ago, divorces had hit a 40-year low. While some theorized that the decrease in the divorce rate was due to the aging of Boomers (people born between 1946 through 1964), it probably had more to do with the economic climate of the country than the maturing of a specific age group.
As the economy improved, construction increased and couples in all age demographics began throwing in the towel, ready to finally begin life again as singles. Divorced people needed places to live, and this spurred the construction industry even more – especially in sector of apartment and condo construction.
More Renters
A greater number of newly divorced suburban men have been renting more apartments in the same neighborhoods that their children live in – mainly for the convenience of remaining close to their children and their activities.
This is right in line with the newer shared-parenting guidelines issued by many state courts that are giving an increasing number of divorced dads more equalized parenting time in place of weekend “visitation” with their children.
So with the rise in divorce rates, other aspects of society have fallen into place satisfactorily; these being the rise in construction, job-market stimulation, the demand for more goods/services, and more fathers remaining in close proximity with their children.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the American divorce rate rose for the third year in a row to approximately 2.4 million divorces in 2012. According to Bloomberg, “Whatever the social and emotional impact, the broad economic effects of the increase are clear: It is contributing to the formation of new households, boosting demand for housing, appliances and furnishings and spurring the economy.”
Couples Are Moving On
Gone are the days when unhappy couples stayed together simply to maximize their resources and keep a roof over their heads.
Now unhappily married couples are finding it economically easier to split and move on with their lives once again.
Where To File For Divorce:
Julie Garrison has been writing articles and short stories for the past 10 years and has appeared in several magazines and e-zines.
