For many lawyers, choosing a specific practice area is the most important choice of their career. There are many options available, and this decision could affect your entire life after you graduate from law school. Each year, countless new lawyers across the United States choose to focus on family law. Is this really the right choice in the modern era? Is the demand for divorce attorneys declining? What does this mean for family law attorneys, and how do you adjust to changing realities in the United States?
Marriage is Becoming Notably Less Common in the United States
First, it is important to recognize the decline of marriage in the United States. According to various sources, marriage rates have declined steadily over the past few decades. There is no doubt about it: Fewer people are getting married in the country than ever before.
Axios states that marriage rates have declined 60% over the past 50 years. The New York Times believes that married individuals will soon be the minority in the United States. The United States Census Bureau states that in 2021, the marriage rate was 14.9 per 1,000 women – down from 16.3 only one decade prior.
But what does this actually mean for divorce lawyers? At first glance, the effects are obvious. Fewer marriages inherently lead to fewer divorces, which means less work for divorce lawyers, right?
While this logic makes sense, it is important to recognize the time frames involved. An established divorce lawyer today may have decades of steady work before they notice the effects of declining marriage rates. After all, there are plenty of middle-aged or senior spouses today who will undoubtedly divorce in the near future.
This issue is perhaps more troubling for new lawyers who have just graduated from law school. These lawyers may “grow up” alongside a generation of their peers far less likely to get married than previous generations. If these young lawyers choose to focus entirely on divorce, they may find that work opportunities dry up toward the end of their careers.
Fewer People Can Afford to Divorce
The decline in marriage rates may be explained by shifting values among younger generations. These young couples are less likely to be religious in the modern era, and they may see marriage as an antiquated (or even “patriarchal”) concept.
However, a more worrying concern is the economic pressures faced by the average American today. Rising inflation and limited employment opportunities are creating difficult economic conditions. The truth is that many couples simply cannot afford to get divorced while drowning in debt. This issue is generally universal regardless of wealth, which makes it a more pressing concern for established family law attorneys today.
Family Law is Not Only About Divorce
Even as marriage rates continue to decline, family law attorneys will handle plenty of legal cases outside of divorce. Examples include child custody issues, restraining orders, adoption, paternity issues, and much more. New lawyers may want to gain experience in these practice areas as divorce becomes less common in the United States.
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