When people get married, they may claim that it will last for life, but the truth is that such a thing often does not happen in modern America. It’s wise to be aware of this, no matter how you feel about your relationship. Understanding that divorce does happen allows you to prepare for it.
The average length of a marriage in the United States is just around 8.2 years. This is interesting because of the cliche of the “seven-year-itch,” which suggests that people start becoming unhappy with their marriages after about seven years. If you add in a bit of time to decide to get divorced and a bit more for the case itself, that seems to fall right in line with the average.
That said, it does matter where you live. In New York, the average marriage is roughly 50% longer — about four years — than the national average. People tend to stay married for an average of 12.2 years.
As with any statistical average, you also have to consider the fact that the marriages on either side tend to balance out the numbers. For instance, someone may get divorced after 20 years of marriage. This means that you have others getting divorced after just one or two years to bring that average back toward the middle. Your own relationship could fall anywhere on that scale.
No matter how long your marriage lasts, what is important is to know about all of the legal options that you have and the steps you need to take if you’re about to go through a divorce. You can also take steps before your marriage ever begins to minimize the impact of a divorce on your future through the use of a prenuptial agreement. Find out more about your options today.