GOING through a divorce is one of the most difficult things a person can experience – as a parent or as a child.
But being married isn’t always easy, and sometimes separating from your partner can be the best thing for everyone to move forward.
Divorce rates in Scotland are luckily relatively low, with around 13.4 per cent of couples ending their marriages.
But now experts have revealed exactly where Scotland’s divorce hotspots are.
Family law firm Reiss Edwards Family Law has analysed data from the Office for National Statistics’ most recently available legal partnership status report.
And the pros used this data to compile a list of the nation’s cities with the highest divorce rates in a new study.
Dundee has emerged as the country’s divorce capital, with a total of 10,783 residents in the city now separated from their spouse.
This works out at around 16.15 per cent of the city’s population.
While every divorce has personal causes, these broader patterns point to a deeper link between where people live and relationship stability
Amar Ali
Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire make up the top three with percentage rates of 15.88% and 15.65%.
Glasgow – Scotland’s largest city – has almost 40,000 divorcees.
Aberdeen ranks fourth with a divorce rate of 14.75%. The Granite City has 15,623 people who have been divorced.
Scotland’s national rate for legal marriage splits sits at 13.4 per cent.
People in East Renfrewshire enjoy the lowest divorce rate at just 8.59%, followed by East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.
These council areas boast some of the least deprived communities in Scotland.
I’m a relationship expert – my nine marriage rules that could save you from divorce
A RELATIONSHIP expert and dating coach has revealed setting rules and boundaries can be good for a marriage.
Alex Mellor-Brook, from Select Personal Introductions, revealed the top nine rules every marriage should have and why each one could save a marriage from divorce.
- Communicate with each other – “Set aside time so that both partners can talk about feelings or situations, whether that be financial, children or career, and for events that are happening in their lives.”
- Affirmations – These are important as they express how you feel about your partner, how important they are to you and also helps your partner to feel good about themselves, which in turn, keeps the relationship healthy.
- Have respect for each other – “We are all individuals and have different opinions, goals and values, so if we don’t respect these differences it may lead to hostility and resentment.”
- Physical contact – Simple actions such as holding hands or the act of making love, solidifies the bond between couples. Without this, couples could lose the close connection they have and drift apart.
- Give each other personal space – “Having personal time also brings fresh conversation and experiences back into the relationship.”
- Make an effort – “If you don’t make an effort in your relationship it feels as though you aren’t interested in the other person which can lead to a disconnection between couples.”
- Spend time together – A relationship is built on trust and trust is built when you do things as a couple, so spending time together is a good rule for all marriages.
- Have honesty – “How you present the honesty is important as being too direct, blunt, insensitive or sarcastic can be perceived as aggressive which is counterproductive.”
- Never compare – Like images and videos on social media, being a perfect snapshot of a perfect life creates an unrealistic perception because you never get to see what actually happens off camera.
Amar Ali, Managing Director of Reiss Edwards Family Law, commented: “The data highlights a strong pattern of divorce rates in urban areas with Dundee leading the rankings and Glasgow and Aberdeen following closely behind.
“This suggests that cities, which may be facing economic and social challenges, may see higher rates of marital breakdown.
“This suggests that cities, which may be facing economic and social challenges, may see higher rates of marital breakdown.
“Urban stressors such as housing pressures, financial strain, and reduced community support can put added pressure on relationships.
“While every divorce has personal causes, these broader patterns point to a deeper link between where people live and relationship stability.”
Scotland’s divorce hotspots
Here is the full rankings of all 32 council areas in Scotland in order of the highest divorce rate.
1. Dundee – 16.15%
2. Glasgow – 15.88%
3. West Dunbartonshire – 15.65%
=4. Aberdeen – 14.75%
=4. Clackmannanshire – 14.75%
5. North Ayrshire – 14.74%
6. Fife – 14.45%
7. Angus – 14.27%
8. Dumfries and Galloway – 14.14%
9. Moray – 14.13%
10. Highlands – 14.12%
11. Inverclyde – 14.10%
12. Shetland Islands – 13.78%
13. East Ayrshire – 13.62%
14. Renfrewshire – 13.57%
15. Argyll and Bute – 13.56%
16. Scottish Borders – 13.53%
17. City of Edinburgh – 13.46%
18. West Lothian – 13.44%
19. South Ayrshire – 13.42%
20. Falkirk – 13.34%
21. North Lanarkshire – 13.17%
22. Midlothian – 12.84%
23. Perth and Kinross – 12.69%
24. Orkney Islands – 12.67%
25. South Lanarkshire – 12.53%
26. East Lothian – 12.39%
27. Stirling – 11.95%
28. Na h-Eileanan Siar – 11.74%
29. Aberdeenshire – 11.19%
30. East Dunbartonshire – 9.36%
31. East Renfrewshire – 8.59%