Nearly 15 years ago, Oklahoma had the second highest divorce rate in the country. When those figures were released, then Governor Frank Keating sought to reduce the number of divorces over the next decade. By the time U.S. Census data was released in 2009, a decade after Keating announced his plans, Oklahoma actually had the highest divorce rate in the country.

Couples decide to get divorced for any number of reasons. Sometimes, two people simply grow apart over the years. Other times, family finances become too stressful to deal with. As such, many may be wondering: Why did Oklahoma jump to the top of the rankings over the course of 10 years?

After creating the Okahoma Marriage Initiative, making marriage licences less expensive and offering “covenant marriages,” the divorce rate in our state remained high. Now, state officials have linked poverty to the divorce rate. As such, there is some talk about encouraging marriage to reduce poverty.

Of course, this plan has raised some discussion. Observers wonder whether this will actually be a solution to reduce poverty, and whether or not it’s an attainable goal. At this point, there is no indication what specific policy measures will be suggested.

Stability is important for the health of children. The reality is that certain marital relationships don’t provide a stable environment, particularly if the spouses no longer see eye to eye. In some cases, divorce may actually be the right move for families.

Of course, the divorce process isn’t always simple. An experienced family law professional can help Tulsa residents and their children work through divorce in order to reach a settlement that’s fair and in the best interests of all parties involved.