Monday, August 15, 2011
Tampa Bay Among the Highest Divorce Rates in the USA
According to a recent study, the Tampa Bay area has one of the highest divorce rates in the United States, with other Central Florida metropolitan areas also showing high divorce rates.
At 15.9 %, Tampa Bay has the highest divorce rate in the State of Florida and the tenth highest in the nation, with nearly 360,000 local residents falling into this category. Nearby Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice had the sixth highest rate in the state, with 14.87 %, or about 87,000 citizens.
By contrast, the lowest divorce rate in the US is claimed by Provo, Utah, at 7.37 %. The lowest divorce rate of the Floridian metropolitan areas surveyed was Gainesville, with 10.69 %
Divorce costs the U.S. public tens of billions of dollars annually, generally in court expenses. The private expenses incurred by separating couples can run into the realm of tens of thousands of dollars.
Divorce rates seem to be perpetually on the rise – in 2005, married adults were found to divorce two-and-a-half times as often as married adults in 1980, and four times as often as in 1955. Statistically speaking, between 40% and 60% of all new marriages will result in a divorce, and the likelihood that a marriage will end in divorce within the first five years is 20%.
In Florida, a divorce is technically a “dissolution of marriage,” and it is one of the many states that does not require fault as a grounds for divorce – either husband or wife may file for the dissolution at will.
If you or someone you know is facing a legal separation or potential divorce, it is important to understand the legal ramifications divorce has on parental rights, real property rights, distribution of retirement accounts and payment of credit card debts.
For a free consultation to discuss your rights in a divorce, contact a Tampa divorce lawyer at Yesner & Boss.