The Houston Family Law Blog


At What Age Should A Person Marry?

| No TrackBacks

What's the ideal age for couples to get married? There's obviously no magic number, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the median age for marriage today is age 28 for men and age 26 for women in the United States.

Yet it's important not to get married too young or too early in a relationship, or divorce could be just around the corner. The Wall Street Journal reports that social scientists frequently say that an "early marriage" is the number one predictor of divorce.

The Center of Disease Control reports that age is a significant factor when it comes to divorcing. CDC states that 48 percent of those who marry under the age of 18, end their marriage with divorce. Forty percent of 18 and 19-year olds who get married eventually divorce, where 29 percent of people ages 20 to 24 get divorced.

So how young is too young in the state of Texas? According to Reuters, individuals can't legally marry on their own in the state of Texas until age 18. However, with parental consent, people can marry at the age of 16. Up until 2008, couples were allowed to marry at the age of 14 with parental consent, but the law recently changed.

There may not be an ideal age when it comes to marriage, but Texas family law attorneys and counselors might advise couples not to rush into a marriage too quickly. The process of divorce can be long, devastating, and can cost a fortune if there is a dispute over property ownership, spousal support, or child custody. Of course, those who do need help filing a petition for divorce can contact a Houston family law attorney. For more information about marriage, please visit our Related Resources.

Related Resources:

  • A Divorce Timeline (FindLaw)
  • More Information on Marriage Age Requirements (FindLaw)
  • Texas family law attorneys directory (FindLaw)

No TrackBacks

TrackBack URL: http://houstonfamilyattorneysblog.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/9149