Divorce: A new quick-fix for the newly wed

Earlier, when problems would creep into a marriage, it was understood that the couple would reach some compromise or invariably iron out their differences. Divorce was considered to be the last resort, when both parties (by now in their 30s) would sign on the dotted lined convinced that there was nothing left to be fixed.

This seems to be a thing of the past now, as recent reports reveal that a growing percentage of divorce cases in the city are filed by married couples in their early 20s.

“At the Jaipur Family Court, at any given point in time, at least 40 per cent of all divorce cases have been filed by those between the ages of 20-25,” reveals DS Shekhawat, secretary family court bar association.

“Furthermore, of the cases, 5-10 per cent are of those who have barely been married for a year.”

This impatience, psychologists reveal, is a characteristic of the youth who have grown up on quick-fixes.

“At the slightest indication that there might be some discord between them, the two partners want to give up and free themselves of the relationship at the earliest,” explains marriage counselor Dr Sonjoy Mukerji, adding that the common reasons for the shortening lengths of marriages include mismatch of backgrounds of the parties, dowry demands, domestic violence and in most cases, lack of communication and sexual dissatisfaction.

“Unlike the couples that would try for at least 5-10 years before parting ways, those in their 20s now don’t want to waste any time trying to resolve their problems, they would rather pull the plug on their marriages as soon as they can,” Shekhawat says adding, “Now the stigma related to remarriage is also dying down.

Thus, couples are keen to divorce as early as possible and find themselves a more suitable match,” ends Shekhawat.