Simon and Garfunkel said there are 50 ways to leave your lover.
Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted one of the more sordid methods - having an affair and then a child with your maid.
While some high profile personalities have made public splits lately, regionally, the state of marriage has been relatively strong.
According to the latest numbers from the federal government's National Vital Statistic System, both the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland have fewer annual divorces than the rest of the country.
Across the country in 2009, there were 3.4 divorces for every thousand people. In Maryland, that divorce rate was 2.8, and in D.C., a mere 2.6. Both have had a lower divorce rate than the rest of the nation since 2005, according to the CDC.
In Virginia, the story is slightly different. With 3.7 divorces for every 1,000 people in 2009, the Commonwealth breaks up at a faster rate than the rest of the United States, a trend that has held true for the five preceding years.
In the Washington area and across the country, Americans are becoming more comfortable with divorce. A 2008 Gallup Poll found that 70 percent of Americans think divorce is acceptable. In fact, the poll finds that Americans view divorce more favorably than unmarried sex.
What do American find least morally acceptable? As it turns out, it was what Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to this week -- having an affair while married. In the poll, more people thought it was OK to clone a human being than to cheat on a spouse.
