Massachusetts has always been one of the states that was ahead of the rest in certain areas, like the legalization of same-sex marriages. Now, same-sex divorce has also been in the limelight, but there are some data points that may be of interest to you. For instance, the May 18 report indicates that the 2004 legalization of same-sex marriages hasn’t had much of an impact on the amount of divorces in the state.
According to the news, the rate of divorce has varied very little since 2004 when same-sex marriages were legalized. By legalizing the marriages, gay couples could also have recognized divorces, allowing them the same rights as opposite-sex marriages already were allowed. What kind of statistics are you looking at? You will find that when it comes to divorce, the rate in Massachusetts has stayed at approximately 2.2 divorces per 1,000 marriages, regardless of whether the marriage is same- or opposite-sex in nature.
The rate has not changed much in the recent years, but in 2011, the rate increased up to 2.7 out of every 1,000 marriages. Even though that’s the case, Massachusetts is still ranked as the 42nd of 44 states that reported divorces and related data in 2011. There were only two other places in the U.S. that reported fewer divorces. Those states included Iowa and Illinois, which are states that are also well-known for allowing same-sex marriage and divorces.
Nationally, divorce rates average higher. According to the report, the national average is 3.6 divorces per 1,000 people. If you’ve found yourself to be one of those divorcing pairs, don’t worry. There are ways to protect yourself, to learn about your rights for spousal support or child support and to make sure your voice is heard during your divorce. With many people going through this same time in their lives, you don’t have to be alone during this stressful and confusing time.
Source: Eagle-Tribune, “Divorce rate remains steady despite same-sex unions” No author given, May. 18, 2014
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