Three other major factors can help determine your odds for divorce include whether or not your parents divorced, your religious faiths, and if you have been previously married.
- Divorced Parents. This can raise the odds of a divorce by 14%, but the type of conflict and divorce in the family is a major consideration in determining the percentage number. How your parents handled their divorce and parenting responsibilities had a large impact on your own emotional health. Children can emerge from a "good divorce" as emotionally healthy adults. Read more about the impact of divorce on children.
- Religious Differences. According to Bronson and Merryman, what is important in a marriage is "how devoted they are to practicing their faith." If you are in an interfaith marriage, make sure that the religious issues and expectations are talked about and dealt with prior to getting married. Throughout your marriage, your interfaith issues will need to be re-examined as your lives change and especially, when you have children. Read about interfaith marriage stumbling blocks
- Second Marriages. Even though a couple in a second marriage has issues with ex-spouses and stepchildren, Bronson and Merryman write that "a middle-class second marriage has only 3% more risk than a first marriage." If you are approaching marriage a second time, along with talking about your expectations, the two of you need to thoroughly discuss the three big issues: former spouses, children, and money. Remarriage Tips
