Seven year itch is 11.7

A trend towards individuals marrying for the first time at a later age, falling divorce rates, and fewer people getting married in the first place have contributed to a longer lifespan for the average marriage, according to family law solicitors.

Recent government figures show the average length of a marriage is now 11.7 years, up from 11.6 last year.

Margaret Hatwood, partner at Anthony Gold, said the danger time for divorce is still the late 20s, although there is also an increase in the number of older people getting divorced. This may be due to couples realising they have nothing in common when they retire or are on the verge of retirement. There has been an increase in the rate of divorce for men and women over 60, and also for women between the ages of 45 and 49.

One in five men and women divorcing in 2007 had been married before—double the figure in 1980.

Hatwood, who practises collaborative law, says: “Over half couples divorcing in 2007 had at least one child under 16. Sadly children are the innocent parties in all of this.”