People who have already experienced divorce once may feel like divorce at the end of a second marriage might be easier to navigate. After all, they have already learned the basics of the divorce process and they have an understanding of what to expect.
However, what spouses on the cusp of ending a second or subsequent marriage may fail to consider is that second divorces have the potential to be substantially more complicated. Technically, more second and third marriages than first marriages end in divorce. While the divorce rate for first marriages is roughly 43%, second marriages have a 67% divorce rate. Those embarking on a third marriage have a 73% chance of divorcing.
There may also be several important complications that spouses have to address in a second divorce that may not have been an issue in a first divorce. What do people need to know about a second or third divorce?
Property division can be difficult
Second or third divorces are often gray divorces. They involve spouses who are close to or past the age of retirement. As such, there may be more marital property to address. There might also be retirement benefits or pensions to consider during divorce negotiations.
It may be difficult for spouses to agree on how to divide their resources. There may also be a request for spousal support from a lower-earning spouse or a spouse who does not have their own pension for support during retirement.
There may be challenges from a prior marriage
A second or third divorce can be more difficult to navigate because of obligations that persist from a prior relationship. One of the spouses may have child support or shared custody of children from a prior relationship.
They may still be subject to a spousal support order for a former spouse. Those considerations can impact several elements of a second or third divorce. The unique financial challenges of the spouses can impact property division and support matters.
Those who have already navigated divorce proceedings once may recognize how important it is to have appropriate legal support as they prepare for a second or subsequent divorce. Recognizing the unique complications that may arise during divorce proceedings can help spouses obtain appropriate outcomes when ending a second or third marriage.
