You thought about getting married in your teens, but you’d heard how divorce odds were far higher for those who got married so young. You waited, and you’re glad you did. You and the person you were dating broke up, and you realized you’d dodged a divorce or an unhappy marriage.
You also realized that waiting until you were older reduced the odds that you would get divorced — but how long is too long to wait?
How long to wait to wed, statistically speaking
Between 28 and 32 years of age, people fall into the ideal age range to wed — making divorce least likely.
The stats also show that you can wait “too long” to get married and increase your divorce odds again. Once you hit 32 years of age, every year after raises your odds of an eventual divorce. They may still be far lower at 33 or 34 than they would have been at 18, but the odds are trending upward again.
If you married at 40 years of age or later, does that mean you’re doomed to divorce? Of course not. Take the statistics with a grain of salt. One thing to consider is the role of second divorces in these statistics. Remember that someone who has gotten divorced once is more likely to get divorced again if they remarry. Many of these individuals are going to fit into this post-32 age group, and their divorces may skew the statistics.
If you file for divorce, you must know what steps to take
It’s wise to understand the stats and the odds, but there are no perfect predictors of divorce. If you’re in an unhappy marriage and you want out, be sure you know what steps to take to protect your interests and get through the process as quickly as possible.