As an online divorce review site, we know there are no certainties for keeping a relationship or marriage from breaking up. But over time, you do start to realize certain risk factors.
Brad Wilcox of the University of Virginia, in his 2012 report, “The State of Our Unions: The President’s Marriage Agenda,” cites a number of factors that can contribute to divorce.
Among them: low income, time that couple conceives their first child, marrying too young, family history with divorce, religious differences, and limited education.
Here are the actual breakdowns:
- Annual income over $50,000 (vs. under $25,000) reduces risk of divorce by 30%.
- Having a baby seven months or more after marriage (vs. before marriage) reduces risk of divorce by 24%.
- Marrying over 25 years of age (vs. under 18) reduces risk of divorce by 24%.
- Family of origin intact (vs. divorced parents) reduces risk of divorce by 14%.
- Religious affiliation (vs. none) reduces risk of divorce by 14%.
- College (vs. high school dropout) reduces risk of divorce by 25%
Even so, there are still relationships that do everything “right” from Wilcox’s findings and still fail. What’s a married couple to do? Here are some tips for giving yourself the best opportunity.
1. Be aware of the stats but don’t be a slave to them. If you’re dating someone that you enjoy being around, but they differ quite significantly with you on religion, for example, think about what you believe vs. what you’ve been taught and decide for yourself if that will be a problem moving forward.
2. Do something nice for each other every day. While you can’t control the actions of your partner, you can control your own, and if you give a loving attitude then you are more likely to receive it. Making a daily commitment to your partner in this regard can help you overcome many of the obstacles presented above.
Would you not get married based solely on meeting one of the risk factors above, or are stats meaningless when it comes to the human heart? Sound off in our comments section.
