Recession Kills The Mood: Americans Put Off Marriage, Children (And Divorce) Because Of Economy

Some Americans are putting off marriage and children because of the economy, according to a national survey released Wednesday.

Eleven percent of Americans surveyed said they planned to postpone marriage, and the same number said they are waiting to have children, according to the survey by legal website FindLaw.com.

But an even greater indication of the effects of the brutal economic downturn is that some people are postponing divorce. Four percent of those surveyed -- unhappy married people -- have decided to stick together because they don't like the looks of the national economy.

"We'd been hearing anecdotally from attorneys that people have been postponing some of these major life decisions because of the economy," FindLaw.com spokesman Leonard Lee told the Huffington Post. "We were surprised by the extent to which people are postponing these life decisions."

"The fact that 4 percent said they'd postpone a divorce, that was kind of eye opening," Lee said.

Lee said it's important that people understand the financial and legal implications of decisions to marry, have children, adopt, or divorce. The implications of a divorce, requiring spouses to disentangle from each other and worse, possibly unravel a mortgage, can be very serious in this market.

The trend is more pronounced among young folks and poor folks. Thirty-seven percent of people between 18 and 34 said they were postponing marriage, divorce, or children. Thirty-five percent of those with less than $35,000 in yearly household income said they were putting off a big decision.

Still, most Americans don't make life decisions based on broad economic trends. Eighty-two percent of all survey respondents said they don't care what the economy's doing when they make a major life decision.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the marriage rate has steadily declined from 2000 to 2007, while the divorce rate has risen. The birth rate declined from 2007 to 2008.

HuffPost readers: Are you putting off a big life decision because of these broad economic trends? Let us know! Email [e-mail].

Comments

[sole]

07:50 PM on 06/12/2009

Man,

I'm happily married (4 years), have the best three year old in the world, trying now to give him a brother or sister. I don't make a lot of money but have traveled the world and still do and am loving life. You only go around once (at least in your present form). I'm not preaching, just do what makes you happy. Yeah, the wedding bands do look like handcuffs. I get the symbolism, just too bad many people feel that way, but I respect you trying to remedy a bad situation (that once around thing again) Life is good people, money is just "dirty green paper" Good wishes to all!

[dubster]

10:10 AM on 06/12/2009

I wonder if there's been a rise in affairs?

[stargazer13]

09:50 AM on 06/12/2009

I must not have gotten that memo

regarding the no sex part !!!

[ladyhoop]

07:27 PM on 06/11/2009

As wealthy Westerns we've indulged ourselves with the notion that marriage is (primarily) based on cupids & romance.

In reality, the primary point of marriage is economic security.

[drippingsarcasm]

03:56 PM on 06/11/2009

I suppose this means a spike in spousal murders

[STILLPISSED]

03:51 PM on 06/11/2009

I got divorced because it was CHEAPER!! Could no longer provide for my family, easier to take of myself now. No mortgage,no car payment, no nagging wife asking where is the money.... no job, ZERO income.

I will add we did not have kids, so I can see how THAT might make a difference. Happiness is WAY more worth it then the stress acquired from this whole de-regulation thing. I don't even have health care to take care of the stress. i.e. cardiologist!!

[1sparrow]

11:31 PM on 06/10/2009

the mood died in the 60's. sit down dinners did too. it was the end of ozzie and harriet. same time long hair started. the needs and wants of women is still a total misconception. how easily they are manipulated by corporate america. can't say i never fell in love. but leave marriage to the lgbt. it's a frontier for the totally misled. oh by the way health care is for profit in this country....each individuals death is someone's monetary gain. and i still remember sit down dinners.

[KoolAidAmerica]

10:49 PM on 06/10/2009

Its a good thing. We have far too many baby mamas already.

[ssfahrer]

11:46 PM on 06/10/2009

Finally! Someone with sanity.... 300 million Americans is about 50% too many. (And for those who think I may be hypocritical, in my 51+ years I have not, and will not, be any one's 'baby daddy'. The family tree ends with me.)

Now that would be a good slogan for a family planning clinic: "The family tree ends with me." It has a nice rhythm (pun intended) to it....

[drkazmd65]

09:47 PM on 06/10/2009

Not a shocker to me,... I know my wife & I now view the adoption savings we were working on as the 'rainy day fund'.

One of my brothers and his long-term girlfriend & mother of his child are putting off both actual marriage AND having a second kid for the time being too.

[PlaceboStudman]

09:21 PM on 06/10/2009

Wait, so the institution of marriage is falling apart and it has NOTHING to do with gays??

~GASP~!

What WILL the religioconservatives do??

[ssfahrer]

11:46 PM on 06/10/2009

Just remember that those who believe in the institution of marriage should themselves be institutionalized....

[drkazmd65]

12:01 AM on 06/11/2009

Actually,... I kind of like my specific version of that 'institution',... and there is nobody else I would rather been institutionalized with,...

[wonketteRAWKS]

09:13 PM on 06/10/2009

Unfortunately, younger people will still continue to have kids without ever thinking about finances.

[festry548]

10:36 AM on 06/12/2009

Unless we can finally 86 abstinence-only instruction in our public schools and give our nation's teenagers necessary, proper, and responsible sex education.

[Tulka2]

09:08 PM on 06/10/2009

Less children will be born...?! Every tragedy has a silver lining.

[rextrek]

08:40 PM on 06/10/2009

Really? Maybe if the LGBT community were (dare I say it in America of all places) ÄLLOWED to "get married....the stats would be lower.........must be nice to "put off"something Heteros TAKE for GRANTED because of the economy.

[Tulka2]

09:12 PM on 06/10/2009

Did you see the wonderful film about Rosie O'Donal's (sp?) cruise ship vacation for LGBT families? I made sure everyone i knew saw it and it changed so many hearts. So many children, who are now sitting in foster care, could be in loving families if America got her head on straight (no pun intended, of course),

[NoblesseOblige]

09:23 PM on 06/10/2009

rextrek, I thought the same thing when I saw this story on the front page. :-(

[FilthyHarry]

08:39 PM on 06/10/2009

Maybe I'm bitter and cynical but I swore that image was of handcuffs til I looked twice. (or maybe I'm just kinky)

[mykebee]

08:38 PM on 06/10/2009

I love ya Princess, but I can't afford ya....however, if you got a friggen' job we could talk.