Each year, hundreds of thousands of couples marry each year in the United States, and it is estimated that at some point nearly half of those marriages will end in divorce. With the national divorce rate estimated by some to be at approximately 50%, divorce has become a common place institution in the United State. Because divorce has become so common, it is hard to imagine our country without it, but as Georgia family law attorneys specializing in divorce, we take the time to wonder: What if there was no divorce?
One of the most patent effects would be the extinction of divorce attorneys. Of course, attorneys who handle other family law matters, such as child custody disputes, legitimation matters, paternity cases, family violence matters and adoptions would likely continue to thrive despite the absence of divorce. Practitioners who solely rely on divorce matters though would be out of business.
The wedding industry would likely also suffer decline if there was no divorce. Couples would likely think longer and harder about entering into a marriage if they knew there was no way to legally escape the marriage should it decline. It is possible that more couples would delay marriage or forgo it all together and opt to cohabitate instead. This delay or decline in the number of couples who actually marry would also likely increase the number of children born to unmarried couples. In turn, many states would experience an increase in paternity and legitimation actions. Additionally, an increase in the number of cohabitating couples may also broaden the acceptance and recognition of palimony actions throughout the U.S.
Another, more unsavory result of the lack of divorce could possibly be increased traffic on discreet dating sites that cater to married individuals, such as Ashley Madison.com. This site currently boasts quite a few members currently, but if individuals could no longer dissolve failing marriages in divorce, they may seek to escape the marriage in other ways.