Millennials Are Waiting to Get Married

 Posted on September 05, 2018 in Family Law

The Millennial generation certainly has its own ideas about marriage, and, in many ways, they are not like those of their parents. An interesting shift is taking place in the way younger people perceive marriage and its importance. Throughout the last 60 years, several trends have arisen. People, in general, are waiting longer to get married, divorce is more common, and couples are having fewer children. During the 1950s, 75 percent of women in their early 20s were married whereas only 50 percent are now.

Repeating History

It is true that young people are waiting longer to get married and having fewer children, however, the trend we are experiencing today with is not unlike the time before the post-war baby boom. The average age at which couples get married today is only slightly higher than the average age of those in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

What has changed since the 50s? Over the last several decades, there has been a dramatic shift in many aspects of American society. Women are more invested in their careers, there is less pressure to have a traditional family, and debt from student loans are all factors that contribute to the postponement of marriage. Furthermore, it is more socially acceptable to have children before getting married than it was during the much more conservative 1950s.

The Magic Number

According to research, there seems to be a golden age for marriage where individuals are statistically least likely to divorce. Individuals who are younger than 32 have an increasingly higher risk of divorce. It is no surprise that those who get married very young are more like likely to divorce than those a bit older. Interestingly, the risk of divorce begins to climb again after the age of 32. Those who get married in their 20s and those who wait until they are in their late thirties are more at risk of divorce than those in their early thirties. There seems to be a “Goldilocks” scenario for creating a successful marriage: do not wait too long to get married, but do not marry too soon.

Seek Legal Guidance

As the average first-marriage age rises, a person is more likely to acquire additional wealth and personal property prior to the marriage. If this the case for each spouse, a prenuptial agreement may be a wise choice to protect each party’s interests. To learn more about how a prenuptial agreement could help you, contact an experienced Kane County family law attorney. Call The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates at 630-232-9700 today.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2016/06/06/why-are-millennials-putting-off-marriage-let-me-count-the-ways/

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/18/opinion/the-50-s-family-and-today-s.html

http://family-studies.org/want-to-avoid-divorce-wait-to-get-married-but-not-too-long/