Marriage used to be the foundation for starting one’s life as an independent adult. These days, some say marriage seems like a mere afterthought to young people. According to the Boston Globe, millennials are waiting longer to marry. This has many people concerned that the tradition of marriage is dying a slow death, and that society will be changing more than it ever has.
However, according to a recent article published in TIME Magazine, millennials want to marry, but they are not willing to enter into such a permanent situation as quickly as previous generations. Moreover, the author of the TIME article suggests millennials try a beta marriage option. This is similar to the “starter marriage” proposed by journalist Pamela Paul in 2002. Interestingly, Mexico City proposed new legislation several years ago that would authorize two-year renewable marriage contracts.
Another author and licensed clinical social worker Susan Pease Gadoua adds to this conversation by noting that the “traditional marriage” paradigm is outmoded. Although the media, friends, and family may try to convince us that marriage is the only way to go forward with our lives, there are other options. Gadoua emphasize the abysmal divorce rates, and notes that people should consider different options for marriage that are better suited to a broad spectrum of personality types. For example, some might want a live apart arrangement, or some couples may only be joined to co-parent.
According to Gadoua, many people are already informally tapering marriage to fit their own unique lifestyles, but are not open about the ways in which their marriage deviates from the norm. They pretend that their marriage conforms to traditional notions, when really, they are living out some alternative arrangement. She posits that people do this out of fear of being judged.
Millennials have started valuing their own happiness and independence over tradition, the expectations of family and friends, and social pressures. As a result, they have been marrying later in life. Every person entering into a marriage thinks that they are in control over the success or failure of it, and that is true to some extent. But it is almost impossible to predict what might happen in a marriage. If you are seeking a divorce in New Jersey, you are not alone. The experienced Bridgewater divorce lawyers at the Law Offices of Kisha M. Hebbon, LLC help people start their new lives.
We represent clients throughout New Jersey including Somerset County, Middlesex County, Union County and including but not limited to the towns of Somerset, Franklin, Bridgewater, New Brunswick, East Brunswick, Plainfield, Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge, Piscataway, Old Bridge, Rahway, Linden, Elizabeth, Cranford, Summit, Union, Clark, Elizabeth, Berkeley Heights, and Scotch Plains. To schedule a consultation, call us at 732-633-2224 or contact us online today.
