In a recent post, I discussed the recent national decrease in divorce filings attributed to the current recession.  I now have the statistics for Tennessee.  From July 2008-July 2009, the following changes for new filings in domestic relations cases in Tennessee were observed:

• Divorce without children:  up 0.3%↑
• Divorce with children: down 1.2%↓

So does this mean Tennesseans have reached domestic bliss?  Nope.

• Orders of Protection: up 12%↑

And now for an even bigger change:

• Child support modification: up 15.5%↑

I attribute the increase in Orders of Protection to people seeking divorce-related relief without incurring the expense of a divorce action (and perhaps domestic strife related to economic stresses).  The increase in child support modification filings is probably related to layoffs and job losses as people seek to reduce their child support obligations.  It appears the struggling economy is affecting families and the judiciary in a very pronounced way.

Information provided by K.O. Herston, Tennessee Divorce Lawyer.