Life

You’re Twice As Likely To Get Divorced If These 7 Things Are True

by Lauren Schumacker

When it comes to relationships, no matter the kind of relationships they are, there really aren't any guarantees. Breakups are always a possibility with romantic partners or friends, people lose touch, things happen. And, of course, while you often make a serious commitment to staying together long-term when you get married, even those kinds of relationships don't offer any certainty. Separations and divorces are a potential endpoint here too. And if these things are true about your partner before marriage, you're twice as likely to get divorced.

Of course, just because there are things that can raise your risk of getting divorced (even double or more), there are still no guarantees that things will end that way. Risk factors don't mean that you'll definitely end up divorced, it just means that you might be more likely to. There are many more factors that influence whether or not your marriage will make it long-term — personality traits and life circumstances aren't the absolute deciding factors. That being said, it can be interesting to look at some of the things that might affect whether or not your marriage is ultimately successful so that you know what sorts of added risk factors might apply in your specific case.

So though these are just risk factors, because they could make it twice as likely that your marriage will end in divorce, it might be worth taking a closer look.

1

They Put A Major Emphasis On Looks & Money

There's more to life (and a relationship) than looks and money, though those things are nice (and having the money that you need is, of course, not insignificant). Marrying someone because they're attractive or wealthy might seem like a good idea to some, but if your partner values these kinds of things above all else, it's much more likely your marriage won't survive. Researchers at Emory University found that relationships where looks and money are prioritized are twice as likely to end in divorce as those that focus on other things.

2

They're A Woman Who Wants A Kid More Than You Do

As Daily Beast reported, a 2009 paper presented at the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics Survey Research Conference found that the risk of divorce is higher if you or your partner is a woman who wants a kid much more than the other partner does. Stephanie Coontz, the director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families, told Daily Beast that women's discontent can spur them to initiate divorce proceedings. If this is a deal-breaker issue in your relationship, it could spell trouble.

3

They're A Woman Who Make Less Initially, But Then Gets A Promotion After Getting Married

Fortune reported that a 2018 white paper written by Swedish researchers noted that women who make less money than their partner (in this case, their husband) initially or don't work when they get married are much more likely to get divorced if they get a promotion or land a great new job. The same wasn't true for husbands who received promotions. Not great.

4

They Lived With A Past Partner Before Living With You

If your partner lived with a past partner before living with you, that could also potentially raise your risk of divorce later on. Daily Beast reported in the aforementioned article that married couples who lived with past partners are a little bit more than twice as likely to end up divorced as those who didn't live with past partners. Moving in together really might be as big of a step as some people consider it to be.

5

Their Parents Are Divorced

You might not think that your parents' relationship or your partner's parents' relationship necessarily will have any bearing on your own, but that's not exactly the case. Mother Nature Network reported that people with divorced parents are more likely to get divorced themselves and that a 2017 study from Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University (Sweden) found that it could potentially have something to do with genetics, as adopted children tended to take after their biological parents in this regard.

6

You Or Your Partner Is A Workaholic

In this day and age, when people are continuously connected, it can be difficult for some to disconnect from work. Though you might think that it's not, generally, an issue, Forbes reported that a University of North Carolina study concluded that divorce is twice as likely if one or both partners in a marriage are workaholics. So it really does take a toll, even if you think everything's fine.

7

You Don't Go To Religious Services

Going to religious services (or not) can also impact your risk of divorce. The previously-mentioned study from Emory University found that those who don't go to religious services together are twice as likely to end up divorced. Of course, not everyone holds religious beliefs or feels as though they can or should attend services. That being said, like the others, it's just a risk factor — not a determining factor.

There's nothing that can tell you for sure whether or not your marriage will end in divorce, but these factors might make your chances a little bit higher than they would be otherwise. Working on your marriage and doing what's best for the two of you and your relationship can make all the difference.

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