What Happens When Former Teen Sweethearts Divorce?

You wouldn’t know it from the statistics that circulate on social media and generate endless volumes of commentary, but not all young people in the United States are determined to avoid marriage. The members of Generation Z who only have eyes for their chatbot paramours are the ones that get the most attention in the media, but somewhere, a woman who is not old enough to rent a car is trying on a wedding dress, and she will likely wear it at her own wedding. Marriage rates among people under 30, and especially among people under 25, have steadily fallen in recent decades, but the Deep South is home to more young newlyweds than almost anywhere else in the country; in fact, Alabama has the nation’s second highest divorce rate, surpassed only by Oklahoma. Many, but not all, Americans who marry young, are members of churches or other religious communities. Religious values and a strong sense of community contribute to the survival of these marriages, but some of them end in divorce even the parties married with the intention of staying together forever and when the decision to divorce strains their relationships with their families and their childhood friends. If you got married young but you or your spouse has decided to file for divorce, contact a Birmingham divorce lawyer.

People Who Marry Young Own Little Nonmarital Property

Getting married is simple when you are young, because neither party has ever thought much about money. All the wealth you acquire together will belong to both of you. Young couples are unlikely to sign prenuptial agreements, compared to their older counterparts, because they don’t have financial entanglements such as a house that they want their children from their first marriage to inherit, or a business that they operate with their siblings. The lack of pre-existing financial commitments can make it easier to stay married, but if the marriage ends in divorce, everything you have ever owned is subject to division. You might feel like you are starting over from zero financially.

Entering the Workforce for the First Time in Your 30s and Beyond

Starting over from zero is easier if you have been employed consistently throughout the marriage. Many women who marry and have children young, and later divorce, have little work experience. If this sounds like your situation, entering the workforce is probably unavoidable; you will need employment income. In addition to child support, you are entitled to a share of the marital property. The court will probably order your ex-spouse to pay alimony, and it will calculate the amount based on the assumption that you will also have income from work. The duration of alimony will likely be less than the duration of the marriage.

Contact Peeples Law About Divorcing Your First Love

A Birmingham family law attorney can help you adjust to life as a single parent if you are getting divorced after marrying young.  Contact Peeples Law in Birmingham, Alabama today to schedule a consultation.

Source:

thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/divorce-rates-america-alabama-increasing-p6kl7wrjp?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdhRX0108lcnkta3tCYouYV9tF5-_YjvZpZlXkMoUjc4GXnMK9Ik7yNUVDGiVI%3D&gaa_ts=69a0a614&gaa_sig=TzekuGHcChtWusQ4Gms_2buhmh8iR1k6uA7ed4xjh65S8qF883VevtQP5UT93KU-qITzYkr2RTHgGQJffVq9Ew%3D%3D