Is relationship advice responsible for falling divorce rates?

New figures published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that divorce rates have fallen for the sixth consecutive year. But do the statistics mean British couples are actually any happier?

A drop in the number of divorces in England and Wales from 121,708 in 2008 to 113,949 in 2009 would certainly suggest so, though falling marriage rates and the onslaught on the recession are also likely to have had their impact.

In fact, the number of divorces is currently at its lowest since 1974, when Britain was in the middle of the 1973-75 recession. Divorce is costly and, without beginning to take into consideration factors such as legal fees and maintenance costs, in times of financial uncertainty it makes sense for families to stick together and pool their incomes. So can the credit crunch explain this 6.4 per cent decrease in divorces from one year to the next?

Well, perhaps. But it’s by no means the sole reason. Money is the issue many couples say they argue about most frequently and with factors such as control, independence and honesty all tied into financial fall-outs, it is little wonder most of us have found these recent times of recession particularly trying.

But instead of letting the recession drive a wedge between them, an increasing number of couples are seeking relationship advice in these troublesome times through online services such as thecoupleconnection.net. Users of the DIY relationship support service have been ‘checking out’ articles and exercises on money issues as well as posting on the popular ‘talk it out’ forum on matters relating to debt and household budgets. It seems that more and more British couples now recognise the correlation between a strong marriage and personal well-being and seek the help they need before their relationship reaches crisis point.

Why do you think divorce rates have fallen? Has the recession forced couples to stay together? Do we value marriage more in 2011? Or are lower numbers of divorce simply the effect of a yearly decline in marriage rates? Tell us what you think!