BOSTON -- More and more celebrities, politicians and couples next door are getting divorced and ongoing research suggests divorce is becoming more pervasive, even contagious.

"I can't tell you how many times a client says my co-workers just went through a divorce, or my best friend or my neighbor just went through a divorce," said divorce attorney Ed Dombroski of Traves and Dombroski.

Researchers from Harvard, Brown and the University of California, San Diego found that if an immediate friend or even a colleague gets a divorce, the chance that you will get a divorce jumps by 75 percent. The research is part of a continuing study of more than 12,000 Americans living in Framingham, Mass.

The report is titled, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Unless Everyone Else Is Doing It Too."

That 75 percent statistic shocked a Cambridge-area marriage counselor, who said couples should use it as a wake-up call.

"The social stigma has never been lower and divorce is seemingly a real easy option," said Dr. Anthony Centore of Thrive Boston Counseling. But, he added, "Some friends have seen friends and family get divorced and they outwardly say I don't want it to happen to me."

How does a happy courtship end up in divorce court?

Researchers say marriages are more influenced by social networking. But it's not all negative.

The study said the more friends who husbands and wives have in common, the lower their risk of divorce. By being supportive of a friend's marriage, you enhance your own relationship.

The study also said men and women are equally susceptible to splitting up if their friends do.