How are SER & ESTAR different when used with adjectives?

We use SER with an adjective when we want to mention an essential characteristic. We use ESTAR with an adjective when we want to mention the characteristic of a situation:

SER & ESTAR with marital status (soltero, casado, divorciado)

You may hear Spanish speakers use both SER and ESTAR when talking about marital status. So, what is the difference in meaning when using SER or ESTAR with words like soltero (single), casado (married) and divorciado (divorced)? First, let’s think about marital status situationally using ESTAR. If the speaker is considering a specific marital status in relation to other possible options, or if they’re highlighting a change in marital status, they use ESTAR. This means they’re thinking situationally.

• Estaba de novio durante unos meses pero no funcionó y ahora estoy soltero desde diciembre.
• Mi hermano está comprometido con su novia desde hace meses.
• Juan y María están divorciados, pero siguen siendo buenos amigos.
• Juan y María estuvieron casados 10 años.

Now, let’s think about someone’s marital status as a classification or characteristic using SER. If the speaker is simply assigning someone to the category of married, single, or divorced without considering the change or specific circumstances, they will use SER. It’s about identifying someone’s belonging to a certain marital status category.

• Juan es divorciado. = Juan es un hombre divorciado.
• Roberta es casada. = Roberta es una mujer casada.
• Soy soltera. = Soy una mujer soltera.

Using both SER and ESTAR to indicate marital status is valid and I hope that this shows why!