Divorce Drops in Scotland

Some interesting observations on the state of divorce in Scotland can be found at News.Scotsman.com along with figures released by the Scottish Government that indicate the Catholic Church in partnership with Scottish Marriage Care seem to be having the effect of reducing the rate of divorce in that country. According to Relationships Scotland, an organization that supports families, the recent worldwide economic downturn caused more couples to remain married longer and a drop in overall marriage rates combined to result in the lowest number of divorces in that country since 1981.

The stats also show that Catholic marriages were lasting an average of 20 years, making them four years longer than the national average and the most lasting in that nation. Church of Scotland marriages were shown to last about 18 years, and the average for civil marriages was 14 years. Catholic Church officials in Scotland suggested that the lasting Catholic marriages were due in part to increased levels of church support and counseling made available to couples in the last 5 years. While lasting marriages are always better than short ones and the current lower rate of divorce in Scotland is certainly good news too, the fact that fewer people are getting married today is also a key factor. Whether or not the rate of divorce will increase as the economy begins to recovers remains to be seen.