What percentage of American marriages end in divorce?

[no one]

ALSO, does anyone have any sources or stats that state what percentage of american marriages are "unhappy," not necessarily divorced?

[Ally Bee]

You should really do your own research

[M. Freedom]

i think half, however if you've traveled around you will know many thousands of non Americans don't divorce because they cant afford it or it isn't allowed in their country but they still cheat.

[Appraiser guy]

50% of 1st time marriages end in divorce and 75% of 2nd time marriages end in divorce

[branjama]

It's so easy to answer the statics on divorce, but how many defacto's end their relationship, just because they don't have a paper that says they married even though they live like they are

[ASUGRAD]

The overall divorce rate is about 50%. The most recent statistic I saw was 54%. Infidelity is also very common. Marital therapists tend to give a range of about 40-60% for marriages that are not in divorce. This leads to an interesting observation.

If a "happy" marriage can be defined as (1) that does not end in divorce and (2) does not lead to infidelity, then the probability of a "happy" marriage is only about 25%. Divorce and infidelity are very common. Here is my resource.

http://www.stepfamilies.info/stepfamily-fact-sheet.php

Stepfamilies are in the fastest growing demographic group among families. Divorce is so common that the "step parent" is becoming a normal pattern. The single mom in her 30s with a new spouse is a common occurrence. I worked with a guy who was a marital therapist for about 10 years. He joked that the concept of a "perfect" marriage is like trying to go undefeated in SEC football. For most people, it's not realistic.

So how does one fight back against the awful odds of divorce and infidelity? One reasonable answer is to read the book by Wendy Jaffe, a divorce attorney. She gives an extensive overview of the common reasons for divorce from the point of view of attorneys who work in family law (i.e. custody, division of assets, mediation). Her common-sense approach can go a long way. Here are some high points in her book.
http://www.divorce.com/article/wendy-jaf...e-attorney

* Divorce is highest for those under age 25.
* Blended families with step children have a higher probability of divorce.
* In-laws can cause problems in many cases.
* Unrealistic expectations are very common.
...

The list goes on. I'm glad I never rushed into marriage. I have many friends and relatives who are either divorced or in unhappy marriages. I have facebook friends well under the age of 25 who rushed into marriage. I doubt that the majority of them will be together ten years from now. Some of their marriages will undoubtedly take the fall as they have so many times in the past.

Here is the classic scene from "Wedding Crashers" for divorce mediation at the start during a brutal argument.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLWTFhiqYog