Marriage is a careless activity: lawyer on the real divorce statistics

Renowned attorney James Sexton, an expert in divorce cases, shares his views on the reasons why many marriages end in failure. He called this an ‘appalling statistic’ and believes it creates a legal perception that marriage is a reckless activity.

Sexton, who has over 25 years of experience in this field, has faced various divorce-related situations many times. In Jay Shetty’s podcast, he expressed his views on why almost half of marriages end in divorce.

negligence in marriage

According to Sexton, there is a concept of negligence in law, which is characterized by an inability to recognize a high risk of harm. He said, ‘There is a concept of negligence and carelessness in the law. Negligence is the failure to recognize significant, but highly probable harm. ‘Negligence is a conscious disregard of a substantial and unreasonable risk.’ The lawyer emphasized that if marriage often causes pain, ‘it is really unwise to enter into it.’ He added: ‘Thus, divorce is a manifest failure in the capacity of the marriage to endure.’

reality of marriages

Sexton also shared thoughts on those who remain in unsuccessful relationships due to children or financial reasons. ‘How many people are unhappy with their decision to get married but stay together for the sake of having children? Or because they don’t want to give up half their wealth?’ According to him, the actual failure rate of marriages can reach ‘about 70 percent’. ‘For me, this is very shocking. “It’s shocking,” he said.

Despite the high number of divorces, second marriages reflect the deep need for connection and the importance of marriage, even if it is risky: ‘But the bad news is that by any measure, the failure rate is very high.’

Furthermore, Sexton believes it is “extremely rude” to remind potential brides and grooms of these realities, but emphasizes that “it’s not pessimism when you look at the numbers.” He said briefly: ‘Why am I getting married? What problem should marriage solve?’

To prevent divorce and improve communication in a couple, psychologists recommend using the tea cup method – practicing daily tea time together, which can become a ritual to strengthen the bond between partners.

These predictions and observations of James Sexton indicate the serious challenges facing modern marriages. However, their statements also highlight that despite the risks, many people still want to find stability and support in relationships. This indicates the need for better communication and conscious approach to family building.