Divorce Grows Among Rural America

The growing trend of divorce is emerging far beyond the metropolitan cities of America. Even in the most rural, conservative communities, marriage separation is rising at alarming rates.

In an eye opening article by the New York Times, the social behaviors amidst a quaint county in Iowa reflect "a fundamental change in the patterns of family life."

A major factor that is taking divorce to the next level is the education gap among couples. Growing opportunities to get a college education is allowing either husband or wife to become more intellectual. As a result, the manner in which couples can relate to each other takes a drastic social shift.

Law professor and co-author of “Red Families v. Blue Families,” June Carbone, pinpoints social class as reliable predictor of family patterns. "College-educated Americans are now more likely to get married and stay married than those with only a high school diploma, a change from 20 years ago", said Carbone.

The growing accessibility of post-high school educational opportunities are shifting American families.

Key trends that are driving divorce are: women are becoming more educated, gaining autonomy, and establishing a presence in the workforce. Additionally, women are changing the values and order among traditional families.

In North Carolina, the Raleigh divorce attorneys of a local law firm offer seminars and counseling to address such issues and help them understand the nature of marriage separation. They better educate couples and families about the complexities of family law in Raleigh, and offer counsel to facilitate issues among the family.

When one individual in a relationship changes his or her way of thinking, it can create a mismatch between expectation and reality. For women, that can result in becoming frustrated with her companion, and eventually leaving.

Divorce trends have been particularly significant for rural communities, which have fallen further behind urban ones with respect to education, according to census data. Just one in six rural residents have college degrees. This is far fewer than in metropolitan areas, where one in three have a college education.

"Sometimes it is quite obvious that a marriage is bound to split. The woman in the relationship no longer has the same connection with her other, and that lack of connection results in a divorce." said a Raleigh family lawyer.