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Study: No major change to rate of military divorce

The people who serve in the various branches of the armed forces deserve the thanks of the entire nation for the job that they do. It can be stressful even in the best of circumstances. It is not uncommon for service members to get a divorce for varying reasons, and some studies suggest the rate may be higher than that among civilians. However, recent data released by the Pentagon shows that the rate of military divorce last year stayed stable, which may be good news for many Maryland families.

The study showed that the divorce rate for those in the armed services, not including the Coast Guard, has stayed close to 3% since 2014. Those who analyzed the data say that it shows both good news and potentially bad news. The positive side is that the rate is not increasing and staying stable, showing that families are staying together. The negative side is that while the military has done a great deal to try and reduce the number of divorces through various programs, the impact of those programs appears to be minimal.

Looking further into the numbers, divorce among military personnel is more likely to happen to women, enlisted troops, and Air Force or Marine personnel. Particularly concerning is the fact that the divorce rate among female soldiers is 7%, despite male soldiers only showing a rate of 2.5%. Officers have the lowest chance of divorce in the different demographics studied, with only a rate of 1.7%.

Though these numbers paint an overall optimistic picture, many families in Maryland will still experience the pain of a military divorce. Those who do may want to consult a family law attorney who understands the particular factors that may go along with this type of divorce. An attorney can help civilian or military spouses through the process and help set them on the path to a bright new future.

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