Anyone who's ever been through a divorce knows it is a painful process. There are, however, some things Missouri residents can do to alleviate the pain and stress associated with the divorce process.
Alleviating stress during a divorce
Divorce rates rise as the new year dawns
Missouri couples who are in unhappy marriages may find themselves looking to make a change in their lives with the turn of the new year. It is accompanied annually by an upsurge in new filings for divorce every year as rates spring up from a December slowdown. There are a number of reasons why the new year can accompany a divorce filing, from resolutions to make changes to one's life to stressful or unhappy family holidays prolonged in order to please children or other members of the family.
Common reasons cited by people for divorces
In Missouri, many marriages end each year. When people are preparing to marry, they likely do not consider that they may end up divorcing in the future. It is important for people to understand some of the common factors that contribute to divorce so that they might work to prevent them from affecting their own marriages.
Parental alienation after divorce
In Missouri, many families have been affected by divorce. In most cases, the adults involved understand that it is critical for children to have a positive relationship with both parents. Unfortunately, some parents deliberately attempt to manipulate their children into having negative feelings about the other parent.
Assembling a support team during divorce
When couples in Missouri are getting a divorce, they might want to seek emotional support from friends and family. A therapist might also be able to assist in this. For financial and legal issues, a person may want to hire a financial adviser and an attorney.
Retirement-age couples have unique divorce challenges
Many unhappy spouses reaching retirement age in Missouri may find it uncomfortable to discuss the possibility of divorce. However, since 1987, the divorce rate for U.S. couples over 50 has escalated continuously, even as the overall rate of divorce has been on a downward trend. Recent studies show that about one out of four couples over the age of 50 decides to divorce, and the trend shows no sign of stopping. For older couples, existing difficulties in a marriage can be aggravated by the departure of adult children and changes to lifestyle brought about by retirement.
Joint debts after divorce threaten individual credit
Divorce settlements in Missouri represent court orders that establish every aspect of a couple's split. In addition to dividing property, the settlement assigns debts, like mortgages, car loans or credit card balances, to each party. Jointly held debt, in which both partners signed the loan agreement while married, cannot be entirely overturned by a divorce settlement. Because the creditor has both people on the loan, the creditor still has the ability to pursue payment from one person even if the divorce settlement requires the other ex-spouse to pay the debt.
Factors that can lead to divorce
For the most part, Missouri couples want to believe that their marriages will last. However, science shows there are certain factors that indicate a marriage could end in divorce. These factors range from the age people get married to the way they argue.
Rates of divorce vary drastically by state
While the overall rate for divorce hovers around 50 percent for all age groups, the number of people who divorce by the end of their 30s varies drastically around the nation. For Missouri, this rate is about 13 percent, which puts it in the middle of the national range. In general, states in the Deep South have higher rates of pre-30 divorce, with Arkansas having the highest at a rate of near 20 percent. States in the northeast have lower rates, with New York coming in at the lowest of just under 5 percent.
Online dating can lead to lower divorce rates
Many people in Missouri search for love through online dating. There are many sites to choose from, but whether a person is looking on Tinder, OKCupid, EHarmony or Match, online dating can actually be a path to a higher level of satisfaction and longevity for a resulting marriage.
