DOES HAVING CHILDREN IMPACT YOUR RISK OF DIVORCE?

If you thought that disagreements about finances, work-family balance, sex, and in-laws were the greatest threats to your marriage, you might want to think again. According to research, a couple’s risk of divorce may actually be more dependent on the age at which they choose to get married and have children – with couples who wait typically having a better chance of staying married.

According to Forbes, the number one factor contributing to a couple’s chance of divorce is if they marry while still in their teens. Women who marry before their 18th birthday have a whopping 48% chance of divorce; a number nearly twice the rate of women who wait until age 25 or older.

As far as children are concerned, factors such as how couples feel about having kids, their genders, and their health all play a considerable role. Women who want children more strongly than their spouse are twice as likely to divorce as those who agree on the number of children they want. Couples with two sons have a nearly 37% chance of splitting, whereas couples with two daughters face a higher likelihood of 43.1%. Finally, couples with a child diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) have a 22.7% greater chance of splitting before the child’s eighth birthday over parents with children without ADHD.

Couples Without Children Divorce More
Other research has indicated that couples without children tend to be more likely to split than those with kids. According to a 2011 article published in the Huffington Post, 66% divorced couples in the United States are childless, whereas only 40% have kids. This is because it is believed that the absence of children leads to loneliness and weariness. While the argument can easily be made that having children can add a considerable amount of stress in a couple’s life, having kids provides a strong motive for parents to stay together. Non-parent couples, though they may have more time to spend on themselves, their careers, and their marriages, do not have such motivation.

Having Lots of Siblings Reduces Your Divorce Risk
A person’s upbringing and size of their family can have an equally large impact on their future chance of divorce. In a 2013 article published in Psychology Today studying the correlation between family size and divorce risk, researchers concluded that adults who grew up as an only child were least likely to marry, with those who did marry experiencing the highest risk of divorce. While individuals with two to three siblings experienced similar divorce rates, those with four to seven siblings had significantly lower divorce rates in adulthood, with a 2% reduction in divorce risk for each additional sibling.

Divorcing? Contact Pazos Law Group Today
While these statistics provide an interesting look at divorce rates as a whole, it is important to remember that a couple’s decision to split is often the culmination of a myriad of different factors. Regardless of the specifics, if you and your spouse have chosen to split, it is imperative you retain the services of a knowledgeable attorney who can ensure your best interests are protected.

At Pazos Law Group, our top-rated South Florida divorce attorneys have helped countless couples pursue collaborative and amicable solutions to their divorces and can provide the steadfast advocacy you need. Backed by numerous awards and 5-star client testimonials, we have what it takes to help you get through this difficult time as smoothly as possible.

Contact our office online or call (954) 719-5557 today to discuss your situation in full detail.