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How likely am I to get divorced?

How likely am I to stay married?

The National Center for Health and Statistics National Vital Statistics Report says the average rate of divorce across the country is approximately forty three percent (43%) for first marriages and higher for subsequent marriages. While these numbers seem to throw a negative light on marriage, they do not reflect general attitudes towards marriage. Marriage is a wonderful institution, when shared with the right person. Unfortunately, not everyone finds their soul mate.

How likely am i to get divorced?

While an unsettling question to think about, the likelihood of divorce is becoming a frequently asked question, prior to marriage. According to the American Psychological Association, ninety percent (90%) of people in the western world marry by age fifty (50). The Center for Disease Control has reported that the probability of a first marriage ending in separation or divorce within 5 years is twenty percent (20%). After 10 years of marriage, the probability rises to thirty three percent (33%).
Regionally, “the South” portion of the United States has the highest rate of divorce in the country, while Texas, specifically, bucks the trend with the 4th lowest rate of divorce in the US today. So, what factors play into whether a marriage lasts or not?

what factors play into whether a marriage lasts or not?

According to an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) study, women initiate two-thirds of all divorces. While that may be a surprise to some, a US government study on Cohabitation, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the United States found several contributing factors as to whether marriages tend to last forever or last longer. All of the factors related to this study hinged upon the background of the woman entering the marriage. For instance:

  • Whether she is older at the time the marriage begins?
  • Whether she was raised throughout childhood in an intact 2-parent family?
  • Whether religion plays an important role in her life?
  • Whether she had a higher family income or lived in a community with high median family income or grew up in poverty with low male employment?
  • Whether she cohabitated with her spouse before marriage ?
  • Whether she has a bachelor’s degree or higher? (NOTE: Women with a bachelor’s degree or higher had a lower probability of entering their first marriage by age 25, than women with less education. Additionally, women with more education had a higher probability of their first marriage lasting 20 years compared with women who had some college or women with a high school diploma.)
  • Whether her first husband was previously married? (NOTE: Women who had husbands that had not been previously married had a sixteen percent (16%) lower probability of their first marriage lasting 20 years, than over women whose husbands were previously married.)
  • Whether her first husband had children from previous relationships?(NOTE: Women who husbands that did not have children from a previous relationship had a seventeen percent (17%) lower probability of first marriage lasting 20 years, than women whose husbands had children from previous relationships.)
  • Whether she conceives her first child with her spouse after marriage?(NOTE: Women that conceived their first child after getting married have a twenty nine percent (29%) higher probability of their first marriage reaching 15 years over women who conceived prior to getting married.)
  • Whether she gives birth to their first child more than 8 months after marriage? (NOTE: Women that gave birth to their first child more than 8 months after getting married had a twenty seven percent (27%) higher probability of their first marriage reaching its 15th anniversary over women who had no first birth during marriage)

Every marriage is different

Of course, these factors are not indicators of the course each individual marriage will run. The list above is simply some statistical analysis that has been performed and is by no means exhaustive. Marriage is the most intimate relationship of a couple’s lives. Each and every marriage is different. Therefore, there are countless factors that contribute to how long a marriage lasts and if it ends in divorce. It really boils down to the two people in the marriage and how they feel and their abilities to communicate and comprehend effectively. There are a lot of troubled marriages involving couples who still love each other and can resolve their differences. Unfortunately, there are also marriages that may not be able to whether the storms.
If you, or someone you know, is considering divorce, we can help! The divorce lawyers at Boudreaux Hunter & Associates in Houston, TX can prepare you before your divorce, advise you on what not to do during a divorce, and be at your side handling your divorce every step of the way.

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