New York state had one of the lowest divorce rates in the nation in 2008, according to new census figures.  Even Manhattan’s 10% divorce rate was slightly lower than the national average of 10.7%.  Divorce lawyers were at loss to explain why New York’s rate wasn’t higher, given the stresses that go hand in hand with living in New York.

The reasons could be the following:

—Divorces in New York were harder to get than in many other states, where no-fault laws were on the books,

—The cost of getting a divorce in New York  is prohibitive,

—New York has fewer people per capita getting married in the first place—a statistic that would naturally keep the divorce rate down.

It’s interesting to note that Nevada’s 14.2 divorce rate was the highest in the country.  One reason is that couples only have to  live there six weeks before their marriages can be dissolved.