By The Numbers

The 2011 US Census Bureau Report contains interesting information and statistics regarding divorce and family households in America.   The following are some highlights. 

Divorce Rates Highest in the South, Lowest in the Northeast, Census Bureau Reports   (Press Release)

·         “National rates of marriage in the past 12 months were 19.1 for men and 17.6 for women. There were 3.5 instances of widowhood for men and 7.8 for women, per every 1,000 people.

·         Children living with a parent who divorced in 2009 were more likely to live in a household headed by their mother (75 percent) than in a household headed by their father (25 percent). Additionally, children living with a parent who divorced in 2009 were more likely to be in a household below the poverty level (28 percent) compared with other children (19 percent), and they were more likely to live in a rented home (53 percent) compared with other children (36 percent).

·         The economic well-being of those who experienced a recent marital event differed. Women who divorced in the past 12 months were more likely to receive public assistance than recently divorced men (23 percent and 15 percent).Women who divorced in the past 12 months reported less household income than recently divorced men. For example, 27 percent of women who divorced in the past 12 months had less than $25,000 in annual household income compared with 17 percent of recently divorced men. Similarly, women who divorced in the past 12 months were more likely than recently divorced men to be in poverty (22 percent compared with 11 percent).

·         Women who divorced in the past 12 months were more likely to be living in a multigenerational household -- 11 percent of such women, compared with 5 percent of men.

·         Thirteen states had median durations for second marriages for women below the U.S. median of 14.5 years. This included six states in the Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) ranging from 13.1 to 13.6 years.

·         Among those widowed in the last year, 77 percent of men and 73 percent of women were white alone, non-Hispanic.”  

2011 AmericanCommunity Survey
Excerpts from United States Census Bureau

Marital Status:   Males (over age 25): 50% are married and 9.7% are divorced with age 55-64 largest category of divorced males @ 16.4%.   Females (over age 25): 46.6% are married and 12.2% are divorced with age 55-64 largest category of divorced females @ 20%.   Divorce By Ethnicity: American Indian & Alaska Native (13%), Black or African American (12%), White (11.4%), Hispanic or Latino (8.3%), Asian (5%).  

Children (under 18) in Household:  
Under 6:  Married couple household (32.9%), male householder/no wife (34.8%), female householder/no husband (32%).  
6-11 years: Married couple household (33.7%), male householder/no wife (31.5%), female householder/no husband (33.1%).  
12-17 years: Married couple household (33.3%), male householder/no wife (33.7%), female householder/no husband (34.9%).  

Presence of unmarried partner of householder present:  male householder (40.9%), female householder (15.3%).  

Committed Intimate Relationship

A "Committed Intimate Relationship" is a moniker given by the Washington courts to a "stable, marital-like relationship where both parties cohabit with knowledge that a lawful marriage between them does not exist."    Five factors are relevant:  (1) continuous cohabitation, (2) duration of the relationship, (3) purpose of the relationship, (4) pooling resources and services for joint projects, and (5) the intent of the parties.    

According to the January-May 2012 Washington State Courts Report thirty-nine of the 17,456 domestic filings in Washington Superior Courts were "committed intimate relationship" cases: twenty-five in Western Washington and fourteen in Eastern Washington.   Two of filings went to trial:  one in Thurston County and the other in Snohomish County.

There have been four recent appellate opinions dealing with these type of cases.   They make for interesting reading, particularly if you're in such a relationship or contemplating one.   

•  Tatham v Rogers __WnApp __ (Div III, 8/14/12)  
  

  Committed Intimate Relationship, with a small town twist.

• Marriage of McCarthy __WnApp __ (Div III, 08/21/12, Unpublished)  
  Husband appeals property distribution after finding of committed intimate relationship.
• Finch v Weider__WnApp __ (Div I, 9/17/12).  
  Oral agreement rebuts property presumption in  committed intimate relationship.  
• Kelly v Moesslang__WnApp __ (Div III, 9/18/12)  
  Three year statute of limitation applies to suit alleging committed intimate relationship.