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Are you at risk for divorce?

On Behalf of | Sep 24, 2018 | Family Law |

As compatible as two people may seem, there are some subtle signs and risk factors that their marriage may end in divorce.

This post will discuss several key elements that, while not necessarily predicting divorce, have been shown to increase a couple’s risk of an unsuccessful marriage.

  1. Your parents divorced: Divorce is more common among children of divorce. It makes sense, having seen a marriage end, that you might be more willing to divorce yourself. Seeing as about 50 percent of all first-time marriages in America end in divorce, though, this means that many of us are at risk if a parent’s divorce puts us at risk. Interestingly, the risk is heightened even for adopted children whose biological parents divorced.
  2. Alcohol consumption isn’t equal between the parties: If one spouse is a heavy drinker, while the other is a teetotaler, the risk of divorce is increased. This makes sense, since their social habits might be different, or the non-drinking spouse might resent having to be the designated driver all the time.
  3. Spouses are both extremely attractive: This, interestingly, might explain how difficult it is for celebrities to remain happily married. Attractive partners face more temptation than more average-looking partners, and sometimes give in to opportunities to be unfaithful.
  4. You spent big money on the wedding: The more money spent on the wedding, the more likely the partners are to divorce. Couples who spent an average of more than $20,000 on their nuptials were more likely to split than those who spent less. When spouses spent less than $1,000, for example, they were least likely to split than those couples in other economic situations. This may have something to do with the fact that, when you really want to get married, you are willing to compromise on the wedding just to be together.
  5. You are less educated: Couples with a high school education (or less) stayed married much less than the national average, while couples with at least a bachelor’s degree bucked nationwide trends and stayed married about 71 percent of the time compared to the national average of 50 percent.

Of course, none of these risks is a death knell for your marriage. Statistically speaking, however, they do indicate a higher chance of divorce than for couples without them.