The statistics show that getting married at a young age — in your teens or very early 20s — often leads to divorce. Teen marriage in particular has a very high divorce rate. Why don’t these relationships work?
One reason is just that young people still change and develop a lot as they grow up. Remember, your brain development is still years away from being complete when you’re 18 years old. If you get married, are you still going to be the same person five years later? And, if not, is that going to cause you to get a divorce?
Maturity issues are also a problem, according to some who got married early. You may not have faced real life problems yet — such as job loss, disease, addiction, having to make ends meet, etc. Some people are very mature in their teens and can handle these issues. Others are not. Some young couples do well when things are going well, but they break up quickly when they face these hurdles.
Another reason is just that life can be difficult when starting independently at such a young age. If you get married at 19 and suddenly have to get a job, pay rent, pay the utilities, buy your own food and really take control of your own lives, you may be surprised by how stressful it is. Some couples see how their friends are still living at home and enjoying a relaxing, carefree lifestyle, and they realize they got married too soon.
Regardless of your personal reasons, if you decide to get divorced while you’re still young, just be sure you know what legal rights you have.