Data shows marriages lasting longer

The latest data shows that people in Wales and England are staying married for longer before seeking a divorce.

This data was issued by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It shows the average marriage length among divorcing couples last year to be 13 years. This represents the longest average marriage duration since the ONS began to keep records, which was in 1963. This figure applies to marriages among people of the opposite sex.

However, the situation is similar when it comes to civil partnerships between same sex couples. Among male couples, the average length of time before seeking civil partnership dissolution in North Wales or England was 13.7 years. Meanwhile, for female couples, it was 13.6 years.

There has also been a big drop in the percentage of spouses who got divorced before the 10-year point. Among those who wed in 2015, it was 16.3%. By comparison, for those who married back in 1995, the figure was 24.7%.

While these trends are broadly positive, they create issues in terms of reaching financial agreements. Julian Ribet from Ribet Myles told Today’s Family Lawyer that the longer couples are together, the more entangled their finances become. This includes investments, savings, pensions and properties.

Ribet then added:

“It reinforces the importance of taking a holistic view of finances rather than treating divorce simply as the division of the most obvious assets.”

This is something that can require the help of professionals.

At Bennett Smith Solicitors, civil partnership dissolution and divorce are among our specialist areas. Call us right away if you need experienced divorce solicitors in North Wales.