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Divorce Fact Sheet 2012
Canadian Divorce Rate
Annual number of divorces in Canada 71,000
Marriages that won’t reach their
50th wedding anniversary 43%
Divorce Rates around the World
Sweden
US, Australia
United Kingdom
Canada
Israel
Switzerland
Greece
Singapore, Poland
Spain
Italy

55%
46%
43%
40%
26%
25%
18%
17%
15%
12%

Divorce rate, by age group
Divorce rate for couples, ages 50 to 54 38%
Divorce rate for couples, ages 55 to 59 47.8%
Divorce rate for couples, ages 60 to 64 31.7%
Marriage, Common Law, Same Sex Unions
Marriage rate in Newfoundland and Labrador
Marriage rate in Quebec
Same Sex couples who are married
Common law families
Reasons for divorce
Reasons for divorce

SOURCE: Stats Canada

SOURCE: Stats Canada

54.3%
37.5%
16.5%
15%

Stats Canada,1993 to 2003

SOURCE: Vanier Institute of the Family, 2010
(highest in Canada)
(lowest in Canada)

Relationship “runs out of steam”/fall out of love Communication breakdown
Unreasonable behaviour
Infidelity
Midlife crisis
Financial issues
Physical, psychological, or emotional abuse
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Timing, cost
Percentage of divorce cases that 95 to 99% are settled out of court
NOTE: A much larger percentage attend court for
Case Conferences, Motions, and Settlement
Conferences.
Percentage of divorces that go to trial 1 to 5%
Statistically, the busiest month for divorce January, (as a result of not wanting to spoil the holidays for children, as well as New Year’s resolutions) “D Day” in Britain January 8, the day when most divorces are initiated Duration of average separation/divorce 1.5 to 2.5 years
Cost of a typical divorce $5,000 to $100,000
Women and Divorce
Percentage of divorces initiated by women
Percentage of single-parent families, headed by women who live in poverty
Percentage of women over 65 who live in poverty
(who are single, widowed, or divorced)
Percentage of divorced women who have been victims of abuse

66
52
SOURCE: Women’s Legal Action Education Fund
49
(compared with 38% of men who live in poverty)
50
http://qed.econ.queensu.ca/pub/faculty/seitz/ier_final.pdf

Children and Divorce
Couples who tell their children they are separating and how life will be different 5%
Estimated Canadian children affected by divorce 35%
Likelihood that children will be at risk of falling into low income after separation and divorce Odds increase by a factor of 11 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m1999132eng.pdf Problems experienced by kids of divorced couples

More alcohol and marijuana use
More problems with peers, authority figures
Children are less likely to marry and more likely to divorce. Anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues of children from divorced couples Twice the rate of married family children
Dropout rate of kids from divorced couples 2 to 3 times the rate of married family children

MORE INFORMATION
Andrew Feldstein, Managing Partner
Feldstein Family Law Group Professional Corporation
20 Crown Steel Drive, Suite 8
Markham, ON L3R 9X9
T. 905 415-1636
E. [e-mail]

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