Studies identify factors that may influence divorce rate

California couples who get married in their late 20s or early 30s may have a lower divorce rate than couples who marry when they are older or younger. Various studies have linked a number of factors to the likelihood of a marriage falling apart. For example, more attractive couples have a higher chance of divorce.

Similar levels of alcohol consumption is another factor in keeping a couple together. If a woman has grown up in a religious household, she is less likely to divorce than a woman who has not. When people have obtained a bachelor’s degree, they are less likely to get a divorce than people who did not finish college or people whose education did not continue after high school.

People whose biological parents divorced, even if the people are adopted and their adoptive parents stay together, are more likely to get a divorce. Second, third and subsequent marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages. Women whose weddings cost more than $20,000 are more than three times more likely to get a divorce than those whose weddings cost $5,000 to $10,000, and those who spend under $1,000 are the least likely to divorce. Couples who have a child before the wedding or within the first seven months after or whose first child is a girl have a higher divorce rate.

When a couple does divorce, they may need to make an agreement about property division. While California is a community property state, there is still some flexibility about how marital property is divided. However, a spouse has a claim on half of any property considered a marital asset. For example, if only one person has a retirement account, the spouse may still be able to claim half of it.