IN THE PROFESSION
at all , according to the American Family Survey . A large factor is that group that encompasses most young lawyers : millennials . 47 % of Gen-Xers were married by the age of 32 , but only 29 % of millennials were as of 2015 . In 2023 , it was reported that 25 % of American 40-year-olds have never been married , a record per Pew Research .
Is it just a lack of interest ? No , most likely not . Per CNBCA , a whopping 75 % of Gen Z and millennial couples say it is too expensive to get married – no surprise here . A study by The Knot , a wedding planning organization , found that the average cost of a wedding in 2022 was $ 30,000 , a $ 2,000 increase from the year before .
The divorce rate has also sharply declined among all Americans . The legal industry actually rates very well among the industries with the lowest divorce rate , coming in at 10th best . ( And , if you are curious for the highs and lows , the industry-wide data indicates that architects and engineers are the least likely to get divorced , while casino managers , bartenders , and flight attendants have the highest divorce rates .)
What does this mean for lawyers and law students ? All people , including lawyers , are putting more effort into planning out their lives and do not feel constrained by the same traditions and standards that were not merely norms but rites of passage in the past . The priorities of
Atlanta-based television show , “ Cutler Court ,” features trial attorneys Dana and Keith Cutler who hear real-life relationship cases .
Just going by the numbers , that delay might be for the best . Per the Center for Disease Control , couples who get married at 25 are actually 50 % less likely to divorce , compared to couples who get married at 20 . Interestingly , divorce rates increase among those who are wed after the age of 32 , which , at least from a statistical standpoint , results in a “ sweet spot ” for marriage between the ages of 28 and 32 . That is right in line with data that shows the median age of marriage was 32 for men and 30 for women . That same data showed the 2012 median age was 26 for women and 28 for men . young people have been radically realigned , in part by choice and in part by the circumstances the world has thrust upon them . The mechanisms and means by which they deal with that change have , at least according to the numbers , had some effect on the ability and willingness of people to make both short- and long-term changes , which have altered the way they view what were once thought of as immutable duties , including their relationship to the law .
What does it all mean ?
14 January / February 2024