Survey: Young adults positive about marriage, don’t foresee divorce

When it comes to divorce, young people today in Louisiana and across the nation don’t expect to become a statistic, yet anything can happen.

Despite half of all marriages in the United States ending up in a divorce, a new study by a national research university shows that 86 percent of all young adults think their marriage will last forever. The study, which surveyed 1,029 people ages 18 to 29, showed that young Americans are optimistic about marriage, partly because of their upbringings, said the leader of the study.

While the survey respondents were cognizant that 50 percent of marriages result in divorce, a clear majority of them said they expect to be in the positive half, the leader said. Those who were children of divorce are more determined than children from two-parent households to avoid divorce, he said.

Statistically, children of a divorce are more likely to get divorced, he said.

Of those who participated in the survey, 23 percent were already married, 10 percent lived with a partner and 22 percent had a close significant other. The remaining 29 percent were not romantically involved at the time of the survey.

The survey also gathered information about these individuals’ views on relationships, which could be important should they end up getting divorced later in life:

• Nearly three-fourths said couples should be married before they have a child.
• A total of 61 percent said that to have a successful marriage and family, they expect they will have to sacrifice some of their career goals. Men and women agreed in this category, even though it traditionally has been women far more willing to give up career for family.

The goals stated by the respondents are admirable. However, as their relationships progress, young Americans need to be able to react to circumstances in a realistic manner, especially when it comes to the possibility of divorce, so it’s important to be prepared for anything that can happen.

In order to move through the divorce process efficiently, it’s important to consider everything involved in a legal split. Even before a marriage begins, it may be in the best interests of all parties to consider a prenuptial agreement. This way, couples can make arrangements for themselves and any children they may have.

Source: New York Daily News, “Most young adults expect marriage to last a lifetime,” Aug. 13, 2012