Study: four out of five couples that separate wind up divorced

This past week, another study on divorce was released, triggering watercooler debates in St. Louis offices. This latest study says that 79 percent of married couples who go through a legal separation wind up getting a divorce.

While these studies can be interesting to discuss, we should remember that no study can determine how individuals will behave in their lives. Studies simply give us an idea of what the averages might be — and let’s face it, sometimes the researchers get it wrong.

This particular study was carried out by researchers at Ohio State University.

One of the researchers said, separations are “more common than immediate divorce,” meaning that people will often try separating before deciding to divorce. Of course, some of those separations end up in reconciliations, with the spouses giving their marriage another try.

“Most separations last one year or less, but a few drag on a decade or more before ending in divorce. Other separations stay unresolved,” the researcher said.

He said that for women in distressed marriages — and who have children younger than five years old — are more likely to separate rather than divorce right away.

The study analyzed data from more than 7,000 people. All had been married; 51 percent were still married.

Of those who wound up divorced, 60 percent tried separation, with four out of five of those who separated winding up divorced.

Researchers said that the first separation lasted an average of four years. For those who wound up divorced, the separation lasted about three years, on average.

Of course, even in separation, there are legal ramifications to consider, including how child support, visitation, spousal support and more.

Source: USA Today, “Splitting? 79% of marital separations end in divorce,” Sharon Jayson, May 6, 2012