Once upon a time, it was common for people to marry very young. They also started families very young compared to most people today. Yet, in those times, divorce was relatively rare, and couples that married young tended to stay married for life.
Then things changed, and the advice became that you should not marry too young and that people should wait to marry until they are mature enough to make such a big decision and to know the other person is the right one for them. The figures back this up – those who marry at 25 are 50% less likely to divorce than those who marry aged 20.
Yet the statistics also show it’s best not to leave it too late either.
Marrying before 32 reduces your chances of a divorce
Research found that your risk of divorce decreases with age, by 11% per year of age you have when you marry. But, for those who marry beyond the age of 32, it goes up by 5% for every additional year someone is when they marry.
Why is this? There are many things that could be a factor. You could argue that people have gotten set in their ways and are less likely to adapt or compromise than when younger. They may each have more financial independence than couples who marry younger and so be less worried about ending things if the marriage is not going well.
At the end of the day, while it is an interesting statistic, it is an average, and things will be very different in many people’s cases. Whatever your age, if you feel a divorce is on the cards, it is best to get legal help to prepare.
