When celebrities make headlines because of a breakup, many in Texas and around the world may want to know why. It seems like a powerful couple with money, fame and looks should be happily married, and it may be hard to understand what could go wrong. This is a question sociologists have been studying for decades, and they have compiled some interesting data about how marriage and divorce have changed over the generations.
Every year, over 800,000 couples in the United States divorce. While the divorce rate has fallen recently, researchers say this is because people are waiting longer to get married or not marrying at all. One pattern seems to be constant: about 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. A university study found that two thirds of those divorces are filed by women, but the wife is not necessarily the cause of the breakup. Twenty-five percent of women surveyed said their husband’s infidelity caused the divorce.
Interestingly, even though women are no longer expected to keep house while men earn a living, couples in a recent study were 33 percent more prone to divorce if the husband was unemployed. Conversely, women who worked outside the home were more likely to seek a divorce. Researchers believe this is because women with their own income had options to leave the marriage if they were unhappy in it.
Even though most couples do not have their divorces scrutinized by fans and media, they still may cause those around them to wonder what went wrong. Divorce is a personal and often painful process, and those in Texas facing the possibility often turn to an attorney for advice and guidance. No matter the underlying reason for the breakup, a person would be wise to have a lawyer who will protect his or her best interests.
Source: bloomberg.com, “Beyond Brad and Angelina; Why Couples Get Divorced“, Ben Steverman, Sept. 20, 2016
