What’s up with Millennials and divorce?

 Posted on June 06, 2019 in Family Law

Millennials are a generation of people who seem to have learned from the mistakes of others — and that’s probably why the divorce rate is declining.

Here’s how these “children of the modern age” approach marriage differently than their parents and grandparents did:

They’re waiting longer to get married in the first place

Some of the reason that Millennials are waiting longer to get married — most are nearing 30 years of age when they marry (if they marry at all) — are no doubt the problems that many have with student loan debt and coping with a world in which wages have not kept pace with inflation.

However, a lot of them are waiting longer to get married simply because they want to be absolutely sure they’re marrying the right person. The average Millennial couple that marries has been together 4.9 years before they tie the knot. This is not — by any means — a generation in a rush to commit or one that believes in love at first sight very easily. They take their time to get to know the other person with the full understanding that it’s much easier to just break up than get a divorce.

They have different priorities regarding financial matters than earlier generations

Millennial couples are on a much more equal footing financially than previous generations — which usually saw one spouse (mostly the husband) earning far more than the other spouse. Among Millennials, both partners in a relationship likely have their own jobs (and maybe their own businesses) and are used to be self-supporting.

Because of that, Millennials also are more protective of their financial assets. They’re far more likely to seek prenuptial agreements with their intended spouses — not out of fear, but out of a practical understanding that it’s far easier to negotiate a fair agreement when you’re getting along than when you’re not.

If you’re among the Millennial generation, and you’re thinking about marriage and all that it entails, a family law attorney can help you assess your options.