Premarital Counseling & Divorce – What are the Facts
A 2009 Master’s thesis makes a strong case for premarital counseling with the following information. On average, marriages in America last seven years. Half of the divorced couples re-couple with someone else. Forty percent of families have one married-divorced spouse. One-third of adults do not view being married as more beneficial than being single. People who have been married and divorced and/or whose parents divorced and/or who have lived together before marriage, and/or had children before marriage are less likely to maintain a new marriage.
According to the New York Post article, The bigger the age gap, the shorter the marriage, a five year age gap means an 18% increase of divorce; a ten year age gap means a 39% increase of divorce and a 20 year age gap results in a 95% increase of divorce. Different levels of education result in a 43% increase of divorce. A poor marriage presents a health risk. Divorce costs taxpayers over $100 billion a year in lost tax revenue and government programs. How Much Will My Divorce Cost? reports that the average divorce costs $15,000. Marriage and Divorce in America reports that 82% of married people will celebrate their 5th anniversary, 65% their 10th anniversary, 52% their 15th, 33% their 25th, 20% their 35th and 5% their 50th anniversary.
Fifty percent of first marriages, 67% of second marriages and 74% of third marriages end in divorce. Ninety-five percent of divorced people remarry. Seventy-six percent of second marriages end in divorce within five years. Most second marriages fail because the new spouse is too much like the first spouse and because raising step children and dealing with former spouses places too much pressure on the second marriage.
What can you do to lower your risk of becoming a divorce statistic? Be proactive and choose premarital counseling. Engage, listen, communicate, learn and apply your new knowledge to your decision to marry. Engage, listen, communicate, learn and apply your new knowledge about yourself and your spouse to your new relationship. Marriage is a promise two people make. That marriage promise must be renewed every day. A marriage therapist can help you and your spouse choose to renew your promise every day. A marriage counselor can help you change your life.