Divorce happens. And while the dissolution of a marriage doesn’t have to be the end of romance, for many Americans it is just that. The 2017 Avvo Annual Relationship Study reveals what love after divorce looks like in the United States.
Divorced and single, often by choice
Divorce rates have enjoyed a recent downward trend, but a typical marriage still has just about a 50 percent chance of lasting. And it’s “one and done” for many divorced Americans, who have no intention of forging a new marriage (or relationship, for that matter) anytime soon.
The Avvo study found that one-third of divorced Americans are single – and that only 18 percent of them report that they’re actively searching for a romantic partner. Perhaps they are taking advantage of their newfound freedom. Or maybe they know that second and third marriages are far less likely to survive (the study shows that one in four people have been divorced more than once). These divorced singles are found in every corner of the nation, but more (39 percent) reside in the South than in any other region. And most (64 percent) are women.
Divorce belongs to the baby boomers
The Avvo study also found that younger married couples (ages 18-34) are far more likely than other age groups to be in the process of divorcing, but they make up a mere 5 percent of single divorced Americans overall. Most single divorced people – a whopping 60 percent, in fact – are 55 and older.
As AvvoStories recently reported, divorce rate for 53- to 71-year-olds (aka the baby boomers – the first American generation to accept widespread divorce) more than doubled from 1990 to 2012, and divorces of the over-65 crowd tripled. This phenomenon is likely the result of increased social acceptance of divorce.
Modern-day couples are either waiting longer to wed or opting out of a legal union altogether. Marriage was far more commonplace when baby boomers were young. The divorce rate among them suggests that hindsight is 20-20. Maybe the younger generations are on to something.
