Bethesda, MD -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/06/2015 --The latest available data on divorces in the United States indicates that the national divorce rate is steadily dropping. However, it's important to explore those statistics in more detail, which is why Brandon Bernstein, a family law attorney in Bethesda, Maryland, wants to help prospective clients understand them more completely.

In 2012, the CDC reported that the divorce rate per 1,000 people was 3.4. That includes a sample size of over 248 million Americans, and a total of approximately 851,000 divorces and annulments. The data excludes the states of California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana and Minnesota.

This is down from 4.0 in 2000, and the number has been steadily decreasing over that time span. Looking back further, that is down even more compared to previous decades. In 1990, the divorce rate was 4.7 per 1,000 people, and in 1981, it was at 5.3 per 1,000 people, which is when it peaked.

An article by Justin Wolfers, one of the researchers involved, in The New York Times also explored issues regarding the latest divorce statistics. He notes several different ways of measuring the divorce rate and backs up the claim that the trend is that the divorce rate is steadily falling despite some questioning those results.

Further, more couples today are being divorced at later periods of their lives, including after the age of 50. Known as a "gray divorce", this is one of few areas where divorce is statistically rising. Yet, it also shows that more marriages are lasting longer, and reaching that stage. The divorce rate in the United States for people over the age of 50 has doubled since 1990, and more than doubled for individuals aged 65 and above.

State by state, the trend continues, with almost all states showing a decrease in the divorce rate. But clearly, statistics for divorce in Maryland would not necessarily be the same as the divorce rate in any of the other 49 states.

Visit BrandonBernsteinLaw.com for more information on The Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein. Call his office directly at 240-395-1418 to schedule a consultation.

About the Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein, LLC
The Law Offices of Brandon Bernstein, LLC is located in downtown Bethesda, and serves clients throughout the state as a divorce attorney in Maryland, covering a broad range of family law and financial issues. Mr. Bernstein also focuses on bankruptcy, business transactions, estate planning and personal injury, and aggressively protects the best interests of his clients at all times. He has been named a Maryland Rising Star by Super Lawyers for two consecutive years. For a free attorney consultation, prospective clients can visit his website at BrandonBernsteinLaw.com, or call the office directly at 240-395-1418.