... rate generally declining, especially in the final thirty years of the century, whilst the divorce rate increased. "Between 1971 and 1991 marriages fell by almost sixteen percent while divorces more than doubled. For every two marriages in Britain in 1991, there was one divorce1" The factors behind such trends are varied, complex and impossible to clarify succinctly, as each individuals reasons for getting divorced, or for not getting married are different. The increased levels of co-habitation have an obvious detrimental effect on the marriage rate. There are social factors, such as the decline of the importance of religion. This results in couples that co-habit, or that get divorced, do not face the same type of stigma as they once would have. The increased ability of women, traditionally the 'supported' spouse, to embark on their own careers and earn their own money, even alongside motherhood, results in them being better able to ...

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