Posted on November 10, 2014 in Divorce

One of the biggest complaints that married couples have—and often one of the major reasons for divorce—is that too often, the romance has left the marriage. Many of the romantic interactions between the couple during their courtship and newlywed years seem to disappear over time. And now a new study has revealed that the longer a couple is together, the less likely they are to tell each other “I love you.”

The study surveyed 2,072 adults who were in committed relationships. The age of these relationships ranged from just a few months all the way to 50 years. As one would expect, couples who were in fairly new relationships (two to five years) shared “I love you” with their partner on a daily basis.

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 Posted on November 06, 2014 in Divorce

In the past, the majority of couples who entered into marriage did so with the idea they were making a lifetime commitment. Of course the divorce rate paints a more realistic picture, with at least half of all marriages today ending in divorce. And many engaged couples also accept the realities of how difficult it can be to make a marriage work by drafting up prenuptial agreements before they are wed.

A new survey reveals that some women may take the divorce rate to heart even further once they are married—by having a “back-up partner” lined-up in the event they divorce their current one.

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 Posted on November 03, 2014 in Domestic Violence

Domestic violence in the U.S. is at epidemic proportions. Every year, at least 1,200 women are killed in acts of domestic abuse and another 320,000 arrive at emergency rooms or a doctors offices with injuries caused by an intimate partner. It is estimated that domestic violence cost $8.3 billion annually just on medical and mental health services alone.

In a recent study, one in five men admitted to incidents of domestic violence against their spouse or intimate partner. The study also discovered that there are certain medical issues that may serve as warning signs that a patient may have a propensity towards domestic abuse.

The study was conducted by the University of Michigan and included 530 male participants from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication of 2001-2003. The average age of the men was 42 years old. Approximately 75 percent of the men were classified as non-Hispanic white. Almost 60 percent of participants had extended their education beyond high school and 84 percent of the men were employed.

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 Posted on October 29, 2014 in Divorce

According to a survey conducted by NBC News, approximately one in five adults in a monogamous relationship, or 22 percent, admit to cheating on their partner. Furthermore, the survey indicated that the rate was higher among monogamous men.

More than 70,000 consenting adults participated by answering 30 miscellaneous questions, openly revealing how men and women feel about adultery and what constitutes spousal betrayal.

Unless your spouse approaches you directly about being unfaithful, is it possible to confirm your suspicions by observing the body language of your spouse before consulting with an experienced divorce attorney? Initially, it may prove difficult as some people can lie with even the the smallest indication of tell tale signs exhibited while others can not help but to be more obvious. However, developing a watchful eye and following these tips may help you to later confront your spouse with your theory.

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 Posted on October 22, 2014 in Divorce

Is it possible that the state in which we live can impact our chances of divorce?

Many U.S. citizens may credit late journalist Tim Russert and his coverage of the Bush vs. Gore 2000 presidential election for providing us with a visual color by number representation of the electoral college. However, in all factuality, the first political map separating the states dates back to the 1880 presidential election, Garfield vs. Hancock.

Historian Susan Schulten discovered a census-based map printed to a 1883 atlas that clearly illustrates how the country was politically and theoretically segregated by “red state” and “blue state” long before the birth of animated network election coverage. Perhaps even more interesting, separating our nation as “red state” and “blue state” as a method to define religious and political viewpoints does not coincide with our previous notions of the interior division of our country.

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 Posted on October 17, 2014 in Family Law

For the past few decades, social scientists have pointed to couples living together before marriage as a factor that increases the divorce risk. Study after study has concluded that same result, but none of these studies ever pinpointed a reason why. However, a recent study suggests that all the former studies were actually looking at the incorrect variable to draw their conclusions from.

According to the study, which was sponsored by Council on Contemporary Families and conducted at the University of North Carolina, it is not whether or not a couple lives together before marriage that affects their chance of divorce. It is, however, the age at which a couple actually begins to live together—whether they are married or not. That factor, said researchers, is the variable that affects the divorce risk.

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 Posted on October 15, 2014 in Divorce

Much has been written about the increase in gray divorce—divorce between spouses who are 50 years old or older. In fact, according to a study conducted by researchers at Bowling Green State University, the rate of gray divorce has doubled in the past twenty years. In 1990, only one in 10 divorces involved spouses who were over 50. In 2009, that number jumped to one in four divorces. There were over 600,000 gray divorces in 2009 and the Bowling Green study projected that number will be over 800,000 gray divorces in 2030.

There are many reasons why older people divorce. However, there is one surprising reason that appears to be emerging more frequently. It has nothing to do with infidelity, incompatibility or irreconcilable differences. Instead, many older couples are divorcing because of the high cost of medical care and long-term care costs.

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 Posted on October 10, 2014 in Family Law

The results of a recent marital research study, published in the October issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family, further confirms that the key to a happy marriage is as simple as keeping the wife happy and content. Rutgers University, in collaboration with the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, revisited this marital landscape with a new twist. This time, the research team opted to consider the feelings of both spouses. The results indicate that the happier the wife is within the marriage the happier the husband is, no matter the negative marital connotations of the paternal persuasion.

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 Posted on October 08, 2014 in Divorce

Your divorce is history. You have thanked your experienced divorce attorney for his or her support and fundamental knowledge of the Illinois Marriage and Marriage Dissolution Act (750 ILCS 5), and now it is now time for you to move on.

After the customary grieving period, you now feel as if you could put on your dancing shoes, kick up a little dust, and get back out there. However, the decision to date after divorce is one of the most stressful situations a newly single person can endure.

Even though you may have convinced yourself that you are ready to rejoin the single life, the odds of finding a suitor in the grocery aisle may be slim to none. Is joining an online dating service in your future?

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 Posted on October 03, 2014 in Divorce

A new study by the Austin Institute reveals that women are more likely than men to be unhappy in their marriage. The study, “Divorce in America,” also examined the reasons why people file for divorce. Researchers compiled data from the “Relationships in America” survey project that the institute recently conducted. There were 15,000 American adults between the ages of 18 to 60 who were surveyed. Of that group, nearly 4,000 were divorced. According to a statement released by the institute, data was used to assess “how people think about divorce, who wants out of marriages more, and why they want out.”

Twenty percent of the women surveyed said they had considered divorcing their spouse within the past year. Only 13 percent of men said they had considered leaving their marriage. Overall, 13 percent of married respondents had actually discussed separating with their spouse within the past year but had yet to separate.

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