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Statistics indicate Texas laws may not prevent divorce

On Behalf of | Oct 8, 2015 | Divorce |

It seems that divorce is always a popular topic of discussion when it comes to families and the state of the family unit in our country currently. You have likely heard the statistic that half of marriages end in divorce, with many claiming that it is for this reason that younger couples should wait longer before tying the knot. There are many factors that could contribute to a divorce, but rushing into things certainly does not seem to help matters.

What you may not know is that there are a few states that have waiting periods imposed on marriage, and Texas is one of them. In Texas, couples must wait three days after they apply for a marriage license before they can actually get married. During this period, the state offers pre-marriage counseling in order to set couples up for success when they start their lives together. Of course, whether or not this waiting period helps is up for debate.

Nationwide statistics put the divorce rate across the country at just about 50 percent. In Texas, the rate is nearly 48 percent. This means that Texas falls just below the national average, which begs the question of how effective such policies like waiting periods and counseling are. Of course, the counseling may actually be more beneficial if more people took advantage of it. In September of this year, more than 400 people were married, and fewer than 15 of those couples took the counseling classes.

Whether you go through a waiting period or meet with a counselor, the fact of the matter is that not all marriages last. There are many things that might cause a marriage to become less successful, but it is not necessarily a failure of the couple if things break down. What is most important is that couples do not remain in an unhappy marriage when they could move on with their lives and find happiness elsewhere. If you are unhappy in your marriage, consider meeting with an attorney and discussing your options and what you could expect in a divorce.

Source: KRGV, “Texas Tries to Prevent Divorces,” Oct. 1, 2015

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