With all of the press about divorce trends, it is sometimes hard to determine what is truth and what is reality. A recent Woman's Day article, however, debunked some common divorce myths by going to the experts for the truth.
One of the most common divorce myths is the oft-quoted statistic that half of all marriages end in divorce. In reality, however, the American divorce rate has been steadily decreasing over the past 30 years, and a more truthful statement would be that between 40 percent and 50 percent of all marriages end up in divorce, including those who marry and divorce more than once in their lifetimes.
While most people claim that living together, which has become increasingly common in recent years, helps makes a marriage more likely to last, this doesn't always hold true. It turns out that the reason that people decide to move in together is the best indicator of whether a marriage will last. If a couple is forced to live together out of financial necessity, for example, rather than out of a simple choice to do so, then the marriage may suffer as a result.
Many believe that a second or third marriage is more likely to last than a first marriage, simply because it is assumed that the couple has learned from their past mistakes. However, the opposite appears to be true. As opposed to first marriages, second marriages fail at a rate of 67 percent to 80 percent, whereas the failure rate for third and subsequent marriages tends to be even higher.
Whatever your situation may be, if you are contemplating marriage or divorce, you do need to take steps to legally protect yourself, your assets, and your children. By consulting with an experienced Naperville divorce lawyer, you can place yourself in the best position to achieve your goals while still protecting what is most important to you.