2012 Pentagon Statistics Show Drop in Military Divorce Rate
The Washington Free Beacon is reporting that the military divorce rate decreased for the year 2012, falling to a rate of 3.5 percent. In 2011, the military divorce rate, based on Pentagon statistics, was 3.7 percent.
The highest rates of military divorce continue to involve Marines and enlisted female soldiers. Marines had a 9.4 percent divorce rate in 2012 and enlisted women had a 9.3 percent divorce rate. Additionally, female Army members continue to have a divorce rate that is roughly triple the rate of enlisted male Army members. Nonetheless, these figures still represent a slight decrease from the 2011 statistics concerning these groups of service members.
One expert stated that because there are currently fewer military conflicts and deployments, military families are experiencing less stress and, as a result, fewer divorces. However, he also attributed the decrease to potential upswings in the economy, which may make life easier for military families overall, at least in a financial sense.
Military divorces can be more complex than divorces involving non-military families. Custody and visitation arrangements can be made more difficult due to one parent’s deployment or reassignment to another location. Likewise, deployments and base assignments can make it difficult for a family to come to an agreement on any matters related to their divorce. Finally, special laws apply to protect service members who become involved in legal proceedings, including divorces, so it is important to be aware of these special protections, which may delay or draw out divorce proceedings in some cases.
If you or your spouse is a member of the military, and you are considering or have filed for divorce, you undoubtedly will need the assistance of a Illinois divorce attorney who has experience in handling military divorces. An attorney who is familiar with the issues commonly raised in military divorces will be able to properly advise you and help make the best decisions possible as your divorce proceeds.
