Florida's Divorce Rate Still Holding Steady

Despite the fact that the United States divorce rate seems to have fallen, the divorce rate in Florida remains much higher than the rest of the nation, with over 66,000 divorces filed from January to September 2006. I have no explanation for why the divorce rate in Florida remains higher than the divorce rates in other states. Some may argue that the liberal divorce laws in Florida may contribute to this fact. In Florida, if a couple agrees on the terms of their divorce, they can be divorced as quickly as 20 days. Additionally, Florida is a no fault state and follows fairly strict equitable distribution laws when determine what to do with marital property and debt. With no real waiting period or requirement to live separate and apart for an extended period of time before a divorce is granted, it seems, on the surface, that getting a divorce in Florida is pretty easy. I guess we'll never know the real answer to why divorce is so prevalent here in Florida, and can only hope that the declining divorce rate in the rest of the country will begin to be seen here in Florida.

If you would like to read about the falling American Divorce Rate, see the following article: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/05/12/marrying_smarter_later_leading_to_decline_in_us_divorce_rate/