A Look at the Rising Rate of Remarriage

 Posted on March 10, 2015 in Divorce

Despite how it may feel at the time, life does not end with divorce. Over time most divorced individuals will put their lives back together and eventually be ready to mingle and date again. In fact, numbers from around the country show that a larger number than ever before are even willing to give marriage another chance.

Currently in the United States, four out of ten new marriages involve at least one previously married spouse and half of those are marriages in which both spouses had been married before. Based on data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Pew Research Center reports that remarriages have been on the increase for many years and have reached an all-time high.

Several social and demographic factors seem to be contributing to the historic rise in the rate of remarriage. Most obviously, the rate of divorce and social acceptance of remarriage in the last few decades has resulted in an ever-growing number of divorced Americans ready and able to walk down the aisle again. Additionally, as the age and life-expectancy of the American population trend upward, "people simply have more years in which to make, dissolve, and remake unions," says Gretchen Livingston, senior researcher at the Pew Research Center.

The increase in remarriage contrasts the declining rate of marriage overall in the United States. While divorced and widowed adults are as likely to remarry today as they were a generation or two ago, a lower percentage of American adults are marrying for the first time, especially among younger age groups.

With younger generations waiting longer to marry, or avoiding marriage altogether, it is not particularly surprising that older adults are much more likely to remarry, and the divide may be widening. According to the current numbers, half of divorced or widowed seniors have been remarried, compared to about a third in 1960. During the same period, remarriage rates for adults between 25 and 34 dropped from 75 percent to 43 percent.

In Illinois, and throughout the United States, remarriage is legally possible only after any previous marriage has been officially dissolved, either by death, annulment, or divorce. If you live in Illinois and have questions regarding the legal status of your previous marriage or are actively pursuing divorce, our team can help. Contact the experienced Arlington Heights family law attorneys at A. Traub & Associates for a consultation today.