Marriage is a goal for some people and a simple inevitability for others. Whatever the reason, marriage is an institution built not just on vows and religion; it is an economic and financial decision that impacts the rest of your life.
The intent is usually to go through the process once but there are times when this cannot be done for various reasons (including death). It is becoming more and more common for marriages to end in divorce and often people decide to give it another try and get remarried to someone new, or even the same person.
Recent trends have shown that the marriage rate in Canada is decreasing and common-law marriages are increasing. This is said to occur because marriage itself is losing its original appeal and sentiment. Young adults are delaying marriage and starting families without it.
Research has shown that over one third of marriages in Canada end with divorce before their thirtieth anniversary. According to statistics from the General Social Survey (GSS), in 2006 seven percent of the Canadian population over age fifteen were divorced. It was noted that thirteen percent of the population (over age fifteen) was affected in some way by divorce and that almost half of them remarried. Those who did not remarry were still looking for a partner, others were content with being single and the rest were in common-law relationships with no intent to remarry.
In a survey spanning 1990-2006 (from Statistics Canada) there was a steady increase in the number of divorcees that were unwilling to remarry; over half for both men and women. Of note, divorced men were seen to remarry more often and within a shorter period of time.
The following factors were seen as some of the biggest issues affecting remarriage.
- Data showed that divorced individuals with children were less likely to remarry, with that number and sentiment slowly increasing
- The choice to remarry was seen to decrease according to the age of the individual
- People who have been through more than one divorce tended to develop a negative attitude toward the idea of remarriage
Whatever purposes a marriage serves, there are many factors to consider when “taking the plunge”. From finances to custody rights, it is important that you are fully aware of the ramifications of both a marriage and the possibility of divorce. Even in common-law relationships which are definitely more popular, the same foresight and legalities should be considered in the event that there is a separation especially since there are different rules that govern common-law relationships.
At Zeidman Law, we provide a wide range of services to satisfy all your personal family issues. Child custody and support, spousal support, divorce, domestic contracts and division of property are all just some of the areas of practice that we have vast experience in. Call us today and allow us to help you get your affairs in order.
