Family Law

Second Marriages More Fragile than the First

By Erin Kelley

After a first marriage has ended, people think they have it figured out. They now know what they want in their next partner and have learned from all the mistakes. However, research shows just the oppostie. Psychology Today reported that the rate of divorce in subsequent marriage is 60 percent.

According to sociologists Frank Furstenberg and Andrew Cherlin, about one-fourth of second marriages end within the first five years. This rate of divorce is much higher than the rate among first marriages. Yet this risk of a second divorce is only that high in the first five years.  Once a remarried couple stays together for five years, the family’s chances of surviving are the same - possibly better - than a couple who have been married as long in a fist marriage.

Full post as published by The Divorce Blog on January 16, 2009 (boomark / email).