Secrets of a Successful Second Marriage

I got this article in the Wall Street Journal from a colleague of mine about the success rate of second marriages. It starts with this sobering if not obvious fact. Overall, second marriages are shorter. The reason being that second marriages begin later in life and are more likely to end when a spouse dies.

Nevertheless, the divorce rates among second marriages are relatively low. This is a attributed to the fact that many learn from the mistakes of their first marriage. They gain understanding of what they need in a mate, and what they cannot tolerate, making them more careful about choosing the second time around.

“The fact that the divorce rate isn’t higher for remarriages shows that a lot of people are trying very hard and with great success to make their second marriages work,” says Andrew Cherlin, professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University. “We used to think that second marriages were much more fragile.”

The divorce rate, which peaked around 1980, is at its lowest level since the 1970s, according to the Census Bureau. In 2009, 9.2 out of every 1,000 men age 15-plus, and 9.7 out of every 1,000 women, divorced in the past 12 months. People often cite the statistic that 50% of marriages end in divorce. This number may no longer hold. The Census Bureau last looked at this number in 1996, and estimated some 50% of first marriages end in divorce, noting that number was based on numerical modeling, not survey data. It didn’t address the question of second marriages. Many experts now believe the rate is in the 40% range.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904106704576580652976268350.html

It is articles like this one that help me stay optimistic about the process and the end goal of divorce. When you focus on family law as a profession, you see the whole gamut of divorces. Some clients are shocked to be participating in a divorce, others have been waiting for years to finally end an unhappy relationship. With either case, divorce can be a springboard or a stumbling block – it is our job to make sure it is the former.

By protecting your rights while keeping an eye towards the future, the San Diego Divorce Attorneys at Goldberg Jones are committed helping you come out of your divorce with the best foot forward.