Remarrying after the end of a previous marriage or the loss of your spouse can be a major adjustment.
By being proactive, you could help ensure that your remarriage will be healthy, happy, and lasting.
According to many estimates, the odds may not be in your favor.
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However, it is important to note that divorce rates have changed in recent decades.
“Second marriages have a higher rate of failure than do first marriages.
The number of remarried people is three times greater than it was in 1960.
The challenges of weaving two separate lives into a marriage require work.
And remarrying comes with additional challenges that need to be addressed.
Perhaps you werent emotionally ready for marriage last time.
Or maybe you hadanger issuesor financial problems.
Assess Your Readiness for Commitment
What is it that makes remarriage challenging?
The failure of a first marriage can sometimes lead people to feel distrustful andanxious about future relationships.
“That can make it hard for them to connect to their new partner.”
Going through one unsuccessful marriage and then divorce can change a person’s perspective and understanding of relationships.
Poor relationships between stepparents and stepchildren are often cited as a reason why remarriages fail.
Remarrying is an opportunity for a fresh start, but in many cases it means blending two families together.
Before you say “I do” again, spend some time planning how this process will happen.
What This Means For You
Statistics suggest that remarriages are at a high risk for divorce.
United States Census Bureau.Number, timing and duration of marriages and divorces: 2016.
Primavera LH, Pascale R.Making Marriage Work: Avoiding the Pitfalls and Achieving Success.
Rowman & Littlefield; 2016.
2017;38(3):406-432. doi:10.1177/0192513X15604344
Livingston G.Four-in-ten couples are saying “I do,” again.
Gaspard T.The Remarriage Manual: How to Make Everything Work Better the Second Time Around.
Sounds True; 2020.
Hiyoshi A, Fall K, Netuveli G, Montgomery S.Remarriage after divorce and depression risk.Soc Sci Med.
2015;141:109-14. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.07.029
Pew Research Center.A portrait of stepfamilies.
Graves NA.Salient themes of remarriage in the “young-old” years.
In Gianesini G, ed.Divorce, Separation, and Remarriage: The Transformation of Family.
