Calls to improve marriage ‘knowledge’

Marriage Foundation communications director Harry Benson feels society can do more to support the millions of young people with aspirations of marriage. The think-tank brought together a group of highly-respected family lawyers and academics for a conference which discussed marriage in the 21st century.

With as many as four in 10 marriages ending in divorce and impacting the lives of millions of children, the Marriage Foundation felt talks were “long overdue”. Mr Benson said: “When 75 per cent of young people want to get married, it is not acceptable to let marriage go the way of the dodo. Why are the marital expectations of young people so out-of-sync with reality? We need to be looking at what society can do to support the aspirations of the millions of young people who want to get married.” The participants of the conference expressed the need for two individuals considering marriage to enlist the help of society. Mr Benson said the costs of family breakdown are “enormous”, with the cost to UK taxpayers running into billions of pounds each year. “It is not acceptable to dismiss the consequences of divorce as detached from wider society. The sad truth is that cohabiting, unmarried parents who are together at their child’s 15th birthday are, statistically, very rare,” he added. Unmarried couples with kids are three times more likely to split up before their child turns seven. Children of the age of 15 whose parents are still together are 20 times more likely to have a mother and father who are married, a statistic which highlights the importance of matrimony.

Our Family and Matrimonial team helps families across West London and Buckinghamshire. For advice, contact a member of the team, call us on 01494 790000 or email familylaw@ibblaw.co.uk.