Category Archives: Marriage

Arranged Marriage and Divorce

In Western society, the concept of arranged marriage may be an unfamiliar, seemingly outdated idea. Most Americans would bristle at the thought of their parents trying to set them up with a partner with whom they are expected to spend the rest of their lives. In other cultures, however, arranged marriages are a social norm and, in fact, a rather stable institution. When compared to non-arranged or “love” marriages, the divorce rate worldwide for arranged marriages is significantly lower. However, cultural differences regarding the acceptance of divorce in general may contribute to such a disproportionate comparison.

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Number of Remarriages in America Continues to Grow

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 42 million American adults have been married more than once. The current estimate has almost doubled from what it was in 1980, when 22 million reported having been remarried, and has tripled the 14 million figure from 1960. The increase in divorce throughout the United States over the last several decades has certainly been a factor, along with an upward shift in the average age of the population, both of which contribute to more individuals able to and interested in getting remarried.

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Relationship Development Revisited: More Divorce Risk Factors

No matter how much research is published, it is rather unlikely that a couple preparing for marriage will cancel their plans based on a compilation of marriage and divorce statistics. Researchers, however, are able to take larger numbers of marriages and analyze some of the demographic and social factors involved attempting to determine if trends or relationships exist between those factors and the success level of the marriage.

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Invalidating a Prenuptial Agreement

The average age at which Americans marry for the first time continues to rise to record levels. This, combined with the increasing number of second and third marriages, means that couples are bringing more of their individual lives with them when they marry. Each spouse, on average, has had more time to pursue business interests and accumulate wealth, for example, than they may have had a generation or two ago. As such, prenuptial agreements are also becoming increasingly common, as individuals seek to protect specific assets or interests in the event the marriage fails.

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Discernment Counseling: Innovative Marriage Counseling Focuses on Couples Both Individually and Together

The idea of marriage counseling is often met with mixed feelings from people who have experienced it and people who are considering it as an option. With typical marriage counseling, the couple attends sessions together with a counselor in order to work through marital problems and other issues affecting the marriage.

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Infidelity: Could Your Partner Be E-Cheating?

For married couples, few obstacles are more difficult to overcome than infidelity. A straying partner can destroy trust and cause deep seated resentment that takes years to heal, if it ever truly does. In many cases, a single instance of cheating is enough for one partner to seek a divorce, and in Illinois, adultery is considered legitimate grounds for divorce. What may be more difficult, though, is deciding what constitutes infidelity in your relationship and how to recognize the signs it may be happening to you.

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Relationship Development: What Factors Could Lead to Divorce

Decide to get married before living together; limit your sexual partners before marriage; and throw the big wedding. According to a recent relationship develpment study, following these simple ideas give couples a higher likelihood of “happily ever after” and tends to reduce the probability of divorce.

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