How Does the Length of Your Marriage Affect Your Divorce?

Approximately half of marriages end in divorce, but the longer you stay married, the more your chances of staying together until the end increase.  Likewise, the length of your marriage affects how the court will likely divide your property.  Florida’s equitable distribution laws do not assume that an equal division of marital property, and the longer the couple is married, the greater responsibility the higher income spouse has to support the lower income spouse after the divorce.  Of course, most couples agree to a property division settlement in mediation, but even if it is the couple deciding instead of a judge, it is easier to disentangle a couple’s assets and debts if they were only married to each other a short time, as opposed to if they have been together their entire adult lives.  No matter the length of your marriage, you can reach a satisfactory resolution more quickly if you contact a Boca Raton divorce lawyer.

Marriages That Fail Within the First Five Years

Approximately a quarter of first marriages end within the first five years.  In other words, a marriage has about twice as good a chance of reaching its fifth anniversary as a small business does.  A brief marriage has the greatest chance of a simple divorce; most uncontested divorces are marriages that lasted less than five years.

If the divorce goes to trial, the court will divide the couple’s marital assets and debts with the goal of restoring each party to his or her financial situation before the marriage.

The most complicated family law cases involving brief marriages are those where the couple divorces when their child is a baby.  They will probably have to modify the parenting plan at least once between the time the divorce becomes final and when the child reaches adulthood.

Beyond the Seven-Year Itch

The belief that more divorces occur between the couple’s seventh anniversary and their eighth anniversary is an urban legend.  Medium-term marriages sometimes end in divorce, but divorcing after five to 17 years of marriage is less common than divorcing early on.  Couples who divorce after medium-term marriages have been together long enough that their finances are difficult to disentangle, and many of these couples have minor children.  If you were a stay-at-home parent during a medium-term marriage, the property division settlement and alimony order, if any, will probably require you to return to the workforce.

Golden Anniversary or Gray Divorce?

Some people feel that life is smooth sailing once their children reach adulthood, but for others, an inconsiderate remark made by their spouse on the way home from their youngest child’s high school graduation is the final straw.  Gray divorce is becoming more common, even as divorce rates overall decrease.  Your wisdom and maturity can make late in life divorce easier, but separating decades’ worth of marital property is no simple task.

Contact Schwartz | White About Divorce After a Short or Long Marriage

A South Florida family law attorney can help you accomplish your divorce as quickly as possible, no matter the length of your marriage.  Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.

Source:

msn.com/en-us/health/other/why-people-divorce-a-few-years-after-marriage-and-when-divorce-risk-is-highest/ar-AA1pIF0c?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ACTS&cvid=9ea30e47b48f4bf399ca5a3cb901107a&ei=17