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Irish Wedding News

11/06/2015

Half Of Divorced Couples Had Doubts Before The Wedding – Study

A new study has revealed that 49% of divorced couples in Britain admitted to having doubts about their marriage – before they had even walked down the aisle.

The research, commissioned by law firm Slater & Gordon found that these couples felt their relationship was already headed for trouble, but 65% of them also admitted they had even gone as far as to consider leaving their partner at the altar.

In the end, they did go ahead with the wedding, with almost half saying they don't regret tying the knot, despite it not working out.

A third of the 1,604 respondents admitted to having serious nerves or "jitters" before their big day, but pushed on ahead with the wedding. The reasons for doing so varied, with many Britons saying they thought it was too late to pull out of the ceremony, while others admitted they would feel guilty letting their partner down. For one in six, they believed they would be to get their other half to change for the better once they were married; and 42% honestly answered that they hoped everything would work out.



The poll found the top ten reasons for doubting brides and grooms-to-be to still walk down the aisle included:



1. They just hoped it would work out

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2. They felt it was too late to pull out

3. They thought the doubts were just nerves or "jitters"

4. They felt too guilty to stop the wedding

5. They felt pressure from family

6. They thought their spouse would change once they were married

7. They were too embarrassed to end the engagement

8. They didn't want to split up

9. They had spent too much money on the wedding

10. They had children and felt they should get married.



Elsewhere, the survey found that just 36% of divorcees felt positive about their future on their wedding day, with 13% thinking about what would happen if they were to divorce. A third also discussed their concerns in advance of their big day, with both the potential bride and grooms confiding in their mother or a close friend.

Interestingly, of those divorced, many didn't think it would be a problem to end their marriage shortly after their wedding. In fact, 48% thought a "quickie" divorce would be easy to arrange. A third wrongly believed they could have their union annulled, while 17% said they – again wrongly assumed – that a divorce would not be necessary if they separated from their partner within six months of the wedding.

Commenting on the findings, Amanda McAlister, divorce lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said: "It's incredibly common for people to go into marriages with doubts. There can also be a lot of optimism at the wedding, but this can fade with time.

"We also have some clients who say they had an early instinct their marriage might not be successful and now regret not listening to that doubt. I would advise anyone considering marriage to think carefully, not only about long term compatibility, but also about protecting any children involved and their assets.

"We tell clients to be realistic and have those difficult conversations about concerns and worries with your partner as early as possible. It's much harder to resolve living arrangements after a relationship has completely broken down if there has been no conversation about worst case scenarios in advance.

"Ending a marriage is a sad and difficult decision to make but it's often made worse because people are left with the uncertainty of what will happen to their assets. It's important to also be clear about what your expectations are of marriage and your partner in advance of exchanging vows."

(JP)

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"A new study has revealed that 49% of divorced couples in Britain admitted to having doubts about their marriage – before they had even walked down the aisle."