2016 has seen some surprising divorces this year: Brad and Angelina, Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman, and for a moment Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. With divorce rates averaging at every one in three marriages, staying together forever, or ‘til death do you part, is no longer the norm in our society. With this fundamental shift in relationship, experts are now advising that instead of entering into ‘holy matrimony’, couples should consider entering into ten-year contracts instead.
What does a decade-long contract look like you ask? Well, firstly the couples are asked to list out their goals for the relationship, and what the financial terms will be if it ends. After that, they agree to stay together for a decade and reconsider their relationships’ future at the end of the contract.
Dating experts explain that this allows the couple to evaluate their relationship and skip any potential messy divorces. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics state that the median duration from marriage to divorce in 2015 was 12.1 years. With the median age at divorce for males being 45.3 years of age, and the median ages of females being 42.7 years of age (for divorces granted in 2015).
Dr Nikki Goldstein, a relationship expert, explained that couples do not want to be “seen to be failing”, but “never stop to think ‘why isn’t it working for us?’”. She also recommended that couples should always look to make their own rules, suggesting that a contract could prevent divorce rather than encouraging break-ups.
What do you think? Do you think setting a time limit on your relationship allows you to constantly work on it, or allow you to embrace ending things and moving on? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments.
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