There are many facts about divorce in the USA today. Some of these facts are:

• Divorce is widespread, common and often reported in the media

• About 5% of all current marriages end in divorce every year

• About half of all first marriages end in divorce

• More than half of all second marriages end in divorce

• The more times a person marries, the greater the chance their marriage will end in divorce

This of course begs the question of why. Why are so many marriages failing today? This question is becoming more and more difficult to answer because the issue of no blame divorce is dominant in American divorce courts today.

The most common reason listed for the failure of marriage is ‘irreconcilable differences’. This expression covers a potential multitude of sins. Couples often want to get out of the marriage as quickly and as painlessly as possible. They may want to state a precise reason or reasons why their marriage has failed but that could mean a delay in obtaining their divorce. They believe it would be better to say they can’t get along, not blame the other and hope the split can be as advantageous to them as possible.

If couples do offer a specific reason for their marriage failure then adultery and financial problems rate high on the list.

The information from surveys has some surprising facts such as:

• Nevada is the state with the highest rate of divorce

• The District of Columbia is the state with the lowest rate of divorce

• Couples from mixed races are more likely to divorce than couples of the same race

• Couples in the city are more likely to divorce than couples in the country

There are some disturbing facts as well for American marriages.

• Two-thirds of all couples who divorce have at least one minor living with them

• 10% of all American families are one parent families

• Two-thirds of children in America are living with both their biological parents

• Most children who have behavioral problems or drop out of high school come from broken homes. The figures are extraordinarily high with up to 85% of troubled teens coming from divorced parents

• Experts predict that single-parent families will continue to rise

Then there are some surprising or unusual facts:

• Couples who seek counseling before they marry are less likely to divorce

• Couples who maintain their faith together are less likely to divorce

• But a Christian couple is more likely to divorce than is an atheist couple

Whatever the facts, there is no doubt that statistics do not convey the heartache and serious health issues which can be caused or made worse by a broken marriage. Divorce is not restricted within a family; the parents and friends of the divorced couple can all be affected as well.

Of course there are times when divorce is the best option, but it should not be forgotten that prevention is better than cure and a solid basis for marriage is always the best approach.