Statistics make it clear that getting married young increases the odds of divorce. Someone who gets married at 32 is much less likely to split up than someone who gets married at 18. Putting off marriage for another year, while in this age bracket, typically lowers the odds of divorce by about 11%.
But why is it that getting married too young is such a problem? There are many potential reasons, and every relationship is unique. Let’s look at a couple below.
Neither person knew what they wanted
What often happens is that young couples don’t really know what they want in a partner for the rest of their life. They just know that they are happy in the relationship at the moment. But they haven’t thought about long-term issues like careers or starting a family. As they begin to move into these other stages in their life, they realize that they are no longer compatible with their partner.
One or both people have changed
Similarly, people often just grow up and change a lot in their 20s. They have a lot of life experiences, and they decide what they want for their future. But if someone gets married at 18, they may feel like a completely different person at 28. They are just changing, growing up, going through different stages of brain development and finding out who they really are. This could cause a divorce because they are no longer compatible with their partner – even though they were when they initially got married.
Getting a divorce
Did you get married at a relatively young age, and do you think divorce may be coming in your future? Be sure you know exactly what legal steps to take and what rights you have.