To avoid divorce, at what age should you marry?
The research comes from America, but the findings are still very interesting: the old belief that the older you married, the less likely you were to divorce, seems to be flawed.
Research by Nicholas Wolfinger, a sociologist at University of Utah, shows that people marrying after their early thirties are more likely to divorce than those who marry in their late twenties.
It is no surprise that teenage marriages have the highest risk of breakdown, with 32% likely to fail.
The divorce risk then drops: someone who marries at 25 is over 50% less likely to get divorced than if they married at 20. Once you pass 32 however, the divorce rate rises, whereas previously it was the lowest risk group.
Wolfinger believes that the divorce effect on those aged 32 and over has developed in the last 20 years. He found no obvious reason for this, although he offers some opinions, including that if you are not married by your early 30’s, you may not be the sort who is predisposed to such a permanent relationship and may therefore be more likely to become dissatisfied later.
Noting that the age of first marriage continues to rise, Wolfinger comments “perhaps some people who delay marriage get so used to single life that they make lousy spouses should they ever decide to give marriage a try.”
Figures for age groups below the 30 -34 age band seem to have stayed broadly similar to those recorded in 1995 figures. It is only the 35+ group which has significantly changed from being the lowest divorce risk to overtaking the 25 – 29 and 30 -34 group, and closing in on 20 – 24 age band.
Article by Ian Downing, Partner in the family department. You can call Ian on 01752 203500 or email ian.downing@GAsolicitors.com.
Source of research: http://family-studies.org/want-to-avoid-divorce-wait-to-get-married-but-not-too-long/
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