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Successful Second Marriages

Tuesday, 30. April 2013 - 11:42

Couples in second marriages are 'less likely to get divorced' because they benefit from experience of the first.
*Marriage Foundation say 45 per cent of first marriages end in divorce;
*But, only 31 per cent of second marriages will end in failure;
*Couples benefit from age and experience, and are more ready to commit.

Love really is lovelier the second time around. Couples on their second marriage are happier and less likely to get divorced, a report claims. According to the Marriage Foundation, 45 per cent of marriages between first-timers are destined for the divorce courts. But just 31 per cent of second weddings will end in failure. And husbands who are tying the knot for the second time are more likely to find happiness. The relationships think-tank used figures from the Office for National Statistics to find out which marriages stand the test of time.
It found those on their second union benefit from age and experience, and are more ready to commit. Rather than sliding into a marriage without much thought they will have carefully weighed the pros and cons.

He added: ‘The good news is that couples wishing to marry second time round no longer need to be put off by doom-laden statistics. Second marriages generally do OK.’

Relationship expert Dr Pam Spurr said that while previous statistics have shown that second marriages break down more quickly, maturity may well aid a second marriage. She added the second marriages can be particularly problematic when there are children from both previous marriages. And Relate counsellor Paula Hall pointed out that money can be tighter in a second marriage due to divorce settlements.

But she added: ‘People in second marriages seem to have more insight and self-awareness. Having gone through divorce and separation, there can be more motivation to work through problems and save the marriage.’ TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, who have been married for 26 years, are an example of successful second-timers. Madeley had a brief marriage in his 20s but has told how he and his first wife were never well suited.

Fiona Macrae

Source: 
www.dailymail.co.uk
Tags: 
second marriage