Babies before marriage may carry less stigma in Wisconsin

If a woman had a baby prior to getting married at any point between 1985 and 1995, she was 60 percent more likely to get divorced. However, that same woman would not be any more likely to get a divorce if she had a baby before getting married between 1997 and 2010. This is according to a study conducted by the nonprofit Council on Contemporary Families.

There were two possible reasons cited in an effort to explain that finding. First, there tends to be less of a stigma that comes with having a child before a couple got married. Second, the number of parents who were not married increased from 17 percent to 35 percent between the two time periods. Overall, researchers say that couples who are not married are taking things at their own pace, which may reduce the urge for a shotgun wedding.

Researchers believe that there is more of an acceptance of those who decide to cohabit before getting married. However, the research did reveal that 30 percent of cohabiting couples who were together for more than five years but who never got married ended up separating. It is believed that lower education levels and incomes could be behind this number, but researchers did say that such variables were taken into account during their analysis.

A parent who is facing the end of a marriage may want to obtain the assistance of a family law attorney regarding the variety of divorce legal issues that are likely to arise. In many cases, the attorney can play a part in negotiating a settlement agreement that addresses custody and visitation, among other matters.