20/20 Vision: Marriage & Divorce Trends to Know Heading into a New Decade

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the beginning of another decade has arrived, it's important to take stock of how much has changed in the previous 10 years. This is true across any area of life and society, but perhaps one overlooked domain is that of marriage and divorce, which are viewed more like "institutions" which evolve slowly over the decades and centuries, not year by year. There have been a number of developments that prove otherwise though, and experienced Maryland divorce attorney Brandon Bernstein believes it important to educate the public on such matters.

One of the biggest divorce and marriage trends of the past decade regards how frequently both such life events occur. The National Center for Health Statistics from the CDC has released data through the 2017 calendar year, offering an intriguing big picture look at the entire country. In 2017, the marriage rate was 6.9 per 1,000 people. That's stayed relatively consistent since 2010, but if you go back a bit further to 2000, the rate was all the way up to 8.2. Even as the population has grown, there have been far fewer marriages taking place. The divorce rate has correspondingly dropped as well. In 2017, the rate was 2.9 per 1,000 people, down from 3.6 in 2007, and 4.0 in 2000.

"Changes such as the rate of divorce and marriage in the country actually occur more rapidly than many people believe, and though data isn't yet available that catches us up through the close of 2019 and this full decade, I'd expect each of those rates to continue dropping in turn," says Mr. Bernstein. "It's also important to remember that the overall marriage trends we see most typically are a part of, and reflect, other changes to society as a whole, from the economy, personal debt, career paths, equality between the sexes, changing personal priorities, and many other such issues."

Beyond the rates of marriage and divorce in the U.S., there are varying trends that are important to understand. Two of them reflect issues that are coming up with more frequency during the divorce process: how to handle dogs in divorce cases, and how to handle cryptocurrency in divorce cases.

For the former, there are now three states which have legislation on the books regarding what is essentially dog custody, the matter of taking into account a shared dog's, or another pet's, wellbeing during divorce. For the latter, cryptocurrency in divorce is proving to be a thorny issue for two reasons, how to fully disclose the presence of an account that's designed to be untraceable, and determining proper worth of such an account when values for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies swing and shift so dramatically.

The Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein is located in Bethesda, Maryland, handling all aspects of divorce and family law. Prospective clients with questions about how the latest marriage and divorce trends in the United States, or other divorce matters, may contact the office for a free consultation by calling 240.395.1418 or visiting BrandonBernsteinLaw.com.

Disclaimer: Attorney advertising

About the Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein, LLC

The Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein, LLC is located in downtown Bethesda, and serves clients throughout the state as a divorce attorney in Maryland, covering a broad range of family law matters, and aggressively protecting the best interests of his clients at all times. He has been named a Maryland Rising Star by Super Lawyers for seven consecutive years. The core pillars of his practice are Integrity, Experience, and Results. For a free attorney consultation, prospective clients can visit his website at BrandonBernsteinLaw.com, or call the office directly at 240.395.1418.

SOURCE The Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein, LLC