As many people in Massachusetts who have gone through a divorce know, divorce is not something you plan for. However, sometimes it ends up being the best thing for a couple. It seems, though, that the high rate of divorce in the U.S. has made some young couples wary of marriage.

Several recent studies have shown that hesitancy to get married is a trend among young people. Interestingly, one survey of cohabitating adults shows that women, more than men, were worried about becoming stuck in a marriage. Nearly 70 percent of survey participants said the emotional, economic and social effects of divorce worried them, leading some, perhaps, to stick with living together instead of getting married.

The study also showed that a person's economic status affected their aversion -- or lack thereof -- to divorce. Couples with lower incomes were more likely to be cautious about getting married for fear of divorce, particularly for women. Lower-income women seemed to see fewer benefits to getting married. It seemed that the potential inconvenience and financial of divorce is enough to deter them from marriage. Some studies have also shown that while lower-income couples were more likely to avoid marriage, higher-income couples were more likely to get married after cohabitating.

While these studies clearly suggest that people only want to get married once, it should be no secret that this is the case for most people -- and was likely the case for people who have gotten divorced. However, sometimes life happens. Despite hard work and effort to fix problems, spouses change and grow apart and sometimes decide that living separate lives would be best for both of them. In that case, divorce may be the best option.

Source: TIME, "Is Fear of Divorce Keeping People from Getting Married," Belinda Luscombe, Dec. 22, 2011