Strong relationships can contribute to longer lives, especially if the relationship is healthy, with both partners supporting each other emotionally and financially. This is especially true among people who know that they have others to count on when anxious and depressed.
The pandemic demonstrated this when people stayed home to avoid the virus. It also requires the couple to work together in setting boundaries and be present for each other. But the concept of a relationship is different among millennials as the majority of them are single, with some of them living with unmarried partners.
Despite this, many millennials still look forward to getting married and continue to look for the right partner. Here are the ways that millennials changed the concept of relationships.
Preference for Cohabitation Before Marriage
Less than one-third of millennials are married, and this figure includes millennial couples who separated. This shows that the majority of the generation have remained unmarried even after a few years into their relationships. Instead, they opted to cohabitate to test what’s it like to live with their partners.
Cohabitation allows them to know the habits of their partners, which will help them decide whether to go down the aisle or not. They understand that when a marriage does not work out, it will end up in divorce. Premarital cohabitation can reduce the risk of separation. Millennials consider this a wise decision since they can avoid the challenges of dealing with a legal separation.
And when they decide to go their separate ways after marriage, millennials should look for an experienced family attorney to ensure they find a suitable legal solution to the issues they are facing. In these situations, the attorney can guide them through the process and work to protect their rights.
Later Marriage
Millennials who get married also tie the knot at a later time. Due to this, the average marrying age of women has gone up to 28 years old. On the other hand, the average age for men who get married also went up to 30 years old. These averages are higher compared to different periods in the history of the US.
One of the reasons why millennials get married later is that they want to establish their careers. They want to make sure there are financially stable before they commit to a lifelong partnership. They also understand that a solid financial foundation will decrease the chances of separation when they get married.
And since they already have successful careers, millennials are also embracing prenuptial agreements. While some people have an opposing point of view regarding prenups, they are being practical since they want to protect the assets they acquired before the marriage. It also allows them to protect themselves in case the marriage does not work out.
A survey conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers showed an increase of around 62 percent in the number of prenuptial agreements was noted in the past decade. This reflects the importance of these agreements to millennials.
Different Concept of Marriage
Even though millennials get married later in life, they still believe in it but are still looking for a suitable partner. They want to make sure they can live with their partners since it’s a lifelong commitment. This hesitancy resulted in a decrease in the marriage rates in the generation.
One of the reasons for the hesitancy is their need to have stable finances before they commit themselves. And with a lot of millennials dealing with student debt, they prefer to focus on paying it off before they tie the knot.
Many also prefer to cohabitate to know their partner better before they get married. Additionally, around 25 percent of millennials are not getting married at all. This demonstrates that the generation has a different concept about marriage compared to the older generations.
Finances and Education
Millennials have prioritized their finances over marriage. They want to make sure they have a strong foundation before they commit themselves. But finances are not the only reason why they marry later in life. They also prioritize education and consider getting a college degree can reduce the likelihood of divorce when they get married.
More millennial women have a college degree compared to older generations. Around half of millennials with a bachelor’s degree get married. They are also more educated compared to previous generations. Additionally, millennials opt to get married to someone who has a similar educational background. This demonstrates the importance of college education is to a millennial. This also shows that millennials want to finish college before they consider getting married.
While many millennials get married at a later age, it demonstrates how serious they are when it comes to a lifelong commitment like marriage.
