A new study says Texas marriage data show divorce and remarriage rates are lower than 20 years earlier.
The study, which was done by the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Social and Health Sciences, found Texas has the lowest divorce rates of any U.S. state.
Researchers analyzed marriage data for 1,769 Texas counties from 2001 to 2014.
It found that the divorce rate among married couples is less than 3 percent, compared to 5 percent in the rest of the country.
“There are a lot of factors that influence divorce, including the number of children and the family size,” said Julie Schmid, the study’s lead author and a graduate student at the UT Austin School of Public Health.
“The overall divorce rate in Texas is lower than the national average.”
The study’s results contradict the idea that divorce rates are declining nationwide.
The National Marriage Project, which advocates for a more equitable divorce system, has long said the U.T. study is the best indicator of current divorce trends.
But the UTA study said the divorce rates in Texas are not significantly different from those in other states.
It’s a topic of heated debate.
The Texas Tribune and The Dallas Morning News have both published reports that suggest that Texas is among the states with the highest divorce rates among the nation’s 25 largest states.
In fact, the divorce-rate data for Texas is significantly higher than for other states in several measures.
The study found that Texas divorce rates were 5.5 percent higher in 2003 than they are in 2016, and 7.2 percent higher than they would have been had the divorce laws been in place when the study began in 2001.
The divorce rate for Texas men was 10.9 percent higher that it would have turned out to be had the laws remained in place, the report found.
Schmid and co-author James W. Anderson said Texas divorce laws were intended to protect women.
The couple said the data suggest Texas women should not be afraid to file for divorce if they find themselves in a marital conflict.
“If you’re in a situation where you are not getting the relationship you want, or if your partner is acting out of character, you can file for a divorce,” Anderson said.
“We know that when you get divorced, it doesn’t always have to be for money.
It can be for the emotional harm you experienced, the physical harm you suffered, and the emotional impact on your children,” he said.
Anderson said the report is meant to provide support to women who are considering divorce, but it also says that women should be aware of the consequences of filing for divorce and take into consideration the legal process.
“You have to understand that the law is written to protect a woman’s right to make the best decision for her life,” Anderson added.
“I think it’s important that women understand the ramifications of divorce in their state of residence.”
The report does not consider the impact of legal restrictions on women’s access to medical care.
It says women in the U and S. Virgin Islands, where divorce is common, had more than a 20 percent increase in the divorce incidence between 2001 and 2014.
Anderson says that if women’s lives were better, they would be getting divorces.
“This study suggests that the people who are trying to change laws in Texas and across the country are not making the change they should be making,” he added.
Texas is one of 13 states that have enacted strict laws on who can get a divorce and when.
The law, known as the Uniform Divorce Act, requires that the parties to the marriage agree to a separation agreement and a settlement of the issue.
In Texas, the law requires that a marriage must be conducted in a court of law.
The other 13 states require that a judge issue a divorce decree, or a court order that provides a final divorce decree.
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The new report does, however, acknowledge the difficulties in getting a divorce in Texas.
“It is a complex process for a woman who has been the victim of domestic violence,” Anderson explained.
“Many women have lost jobs and homes due to the domestic violence.
Many have been the victims of physical abuse and emotional abuse.
And a significant number of women are unable to work because of domestic abuse.”
The Texas Star-Telegram contributed to this report.”
The current law in Texas does not provide women with the tools they need to seek and get a meaningful divorce, or the legal protections that are necessary to get that divorce.”
The Texas Star-Telegram contributed to this report.
