What Is the Divorce Rate in America? What You Need to Know

Brandon Way - July 31, 2025

The United States is home to a lot of marriages, and it’s a common goal for lots of people. What’s more, marriage isn’t something that’s taken lightly, and if you want to break things off with a spouse, you’ll have to go through the process of divorce. This process is a legal one, and the courts will attempt to split assets, exchange property, and much more. For this reason, it’s a good idea to know what the chances of your marriage ending in divorce are before you make that commitment. 

So, what is the divorce rate in America? The short answer is that about half of all marriages end in divorce. However, there’s a lot more to it than that, and tons of factors influence how long a marriage may last.

Read on to learn more below.

What Is Divorce?

First and foremost, it’s important to understand what divorce is. Divorce is the ending of a marriage, and it has to happen in a court. The court will review the case, allocate assets, and assist with child custody. 

Once a divorce is settled, both parties are free from the constraints of the marriage and can pursue their own financial endeavors. Overall, the main purpose of a divorce is to legally separate and abolish the marriage. 

What Are the Types of Divorce?

There isn’t just one type of divorce. Typically, divorces fall into two categories: contested or uncontested divorces. A contested divorce is a divorce where there is a disagreement over property, money, or even custody. 

On the other hand, an uncontested divorce is a more amicable divorce where both parties agree on the terms. This leads to fewer legal disputes, fighting, and other problems; the process is smoother.

What Is the Divorce Rate in America?

The divorce rate in America tends to be around 40 to 50 percent. This means that about half of all marriages will end in divorce. That said, recent census data has found that the divorce rate is starting to come down. Still, divorce is a common practice in the United States and can happen for a wide range of reasons. 

What Is the Most Common Reason for Divorce in the United States?

There are a lot of studies that have different answers about the most common reason for divorce in the United States. However, it’s often more complicated than there being one reason that’s more common than all the others. 

That said, most studies agree that infidelity, lack of commitment to preserving the marriage, and too much conflict are the most common reasons for divorce. It’s also important to note that infidelity consistently ranks high when it comes to divorce in the United States.

What Is the Divorce Rate for Second or Third Marriages?

The divorce rate for first marriages is around 40 to 50 percent, but what about for second marriages? Or even third marriages? 

On average, the divorce rate in America for second marriages is around 60 to 70 percent, which is a lot higher than the divorce rate for first marriages. Unfortunately, the divorce rate for third marriages and any marriages after them is also similar. 

Factors that Influence the Divorce Rate in America 

Understanding the divorce rate in America isn’t just about learning about the rate and being done with it. Instead, it’s important to know what the leading causes of divorce are. Knowing this information can help you determine if marriage is right for you, and it might even help you save a marriage.

Some of the most common factors that influence divorce include:

• Infidelity 
• Basic compatibility 
• Money issues 
• Abuse (emotional and physical)
• Addiction 
• Parenting problems 
• Arguing

These are the most common answers that more than 190 divorce professionals provided based on interactions with their clients. Still, these are only some factors that contribute to divorce because every couple is unique.

Are Divorce Records Public?

Yes, divorce records are public, but only some parts of the divorce. For example, finding the names of people who were involved in a divorce is easy in most states, but if you want to learn more, that might not be possible. This is because states can make their own laws that determine what’s available in someone’s divorce records.

For example, in New York, divorce records are confidential aside from the names of the parties involved in the divorce. That said, in other states, this information may be available, so it’s important to check with local laws before trying to source any divorce records.

It’s also important to note that if a divorce is tied to a criminal case, there’s a good chance that the records will be public. In these cases, you’ll be able to find them during a criminal records search.

How to Find Divorce Records

Divorce records aren’t hard to find if you know where to look. You’ll find that plenty of tools are available to help you learn more about someone’s divorce. You can use one of our people search tools, try a Google search, or even visit the local courthouse or county clerk. Learn about all of these options and more below.

1. Checkpeople.com 

The best way to find divorce records is to use one of our people search tools. We make it easy to enter someone’s first and last name, address, and state to find their divorce records – along with anything else that’s publicly available. You’ll also find that we can help you search with a wide range of tools, so if you only have a phone number or address, don’t worry, we have your back.

To run a search, all you need to do is navigate to our people search tool, enter the information you have, and begin the search. From there, we’ll comb through millions of public records until we find a match. Then, we’ll compile a comprehensive full report that includes all available public records. 

Within this report, you can view divorce records and anything else that’s publicly available. This includes:

• Social media accounts 
• Other civil court records
• Criminal court records 
• Arrest records
• Sex offender status 
• Contact information 
• Address 
• Dating profiles

You’ll also find that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you can find.

2. County Clerk 

If you want to find divorce records in your area, you can always visit the county clerk’s office. This is the office that’s responsible for housing this information, so you shouldn’t have any issues finding it if it’s available. You can check online, but we recommend going in person, as you may have to answer some additional questions.

What you can get from a county clerk in regard to divorce records varies based on the state. Typically, you’ll be able to access a divorce decree and a divorce certificate that includes some basic information about the people who were divorced.

3. Courthouses 

Depending on the state and how the divorce was handled, it’s possible to get divorce records from a courthouse. You’ll have to visit the courthouse or visit the court’s online database to find the records you’re searching for.

We recommend knowing the case number or some basic information about the people who went through the divorce. This will help the clerk at the courthouse find the records faster.

If you don’t know this information, don’t worry, because our people search tools can help you find it. In fact, we’ll even help you find the records so you may not have to make a trip to the courthouse after all.

4. Google 

Depending on who you’re looking for, divorce records may be available on Google. This is common if you’re looking for divorce records involving celebrities, presidents, or other famous people. Ultimately, the more popular the person is, the more likely you’ll be to find divorce records for them online.

That said, if you’re not having any luck with Google, you can always try running an Advanced Search. This allows you to add more details to the search or limit some results from appearing, which is a great way to limit what shows up. In some cases, this will help you find the records you’re looking for, but it’s not a guarantee.

Understanding the Divorce Rate in America 

The divorce rate in America continues to hover at around 40 to 50 percent. Thankfully, the rate of divorce continues to be on its way down, so there may be hope yet for couples who want to give marriage a shot. 

However, for second and third marriages, the divorce rate is higher. For this reason, it’s important to understand the divorce rate before getting married and to take some time to evaluate whether it’s the right path, person, and situation for you.