Legal Expert Offers Tips to Younger Married Couples

Says Love Can Grow Old, Fast, or Stay New

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ --

Divorce attorney Joel Schwartz of the renowned West Los Angeles Law firm of Nachshin & Weston, LLP that caters primarily to the celebrity community says compatible couples who marry in their 20s or 30s do not have to become divorce statistics if they start out on the right marital "foot."


According to Schwartz, many couples who marry in their 20s, and early to mid-30s, are often marrying for the first time and tend to be more naive and idealistic about their marital futures. Sadly, Schwartz points out, they don't think they will become part of the 52-percent whose marriages dissolve. "If younger marrying couples would consider guidelines they can follow to keep their relationship flourishing, rather than setting themselves up for a breakup before they reach thirty or forty," says Schwartz, "many younger couples would find they might stay married for the long term."


Schwartz offers a ten-tip punch list of considerations:

1. Keep communication open: You should feel comfortable discussing any
and all issues with your spouse. Write it, say it, communicate it, but
always express it.

2. Find interests in common that are ongoing: Activities/interests that
the two of you can enjoy as a couple is key to fulfillment in a
marriage. If you enjoy playing golf together today, chances are you
will through every decade of your marriage. If it's camping, theater,
tinkering in the garden -- it doesn't matter -- just make time to do
it together on a consistent basis.

3. Take time for your "self" interests: Oft times, younger couples get
absorbed in one another and forget to nurture their own personal
interests. Strike a fine balance between common interests and those
that allow for some freedom and space.

4. Show compassion: Out of sheer idealism and romanticism, younger
couples tend to become quickly intolerant of their spouse's
shortcomings. Keep telling yourself, "nobody's perfect!" Not your
spouse or you.

5. Check your expectations: Many young marriages fail because people
expect too much, not only from one another, but the concept of
marriage itself. If the picture of what you thought marriage would be
doesn't match how it turns out to be for you, get real! Marriage is
like running a business: sometimes it's a tough job; other days it
pays huge dividends.

6. Set some joint goals: But do so before you walk down the aisle. Many
couples quickly find out that what they thought were common goals for
the near future, e.g., she wants four kids -- he wanted only
one -- can be the very issue that pulls them apart before they reach
30 or 40.

7. Remember you're partners, not just lovers: If you're looking for only
ecstasy and have no patience for the agony that all relationships
encounter, you're setting yourself up for a rough ride, and probably a
divorce. Marriage is a partnership, not an affair.

8. Commitment is 24/7: A lack of maturity is often to blame when it comes
to divorce among 20-to early 30-something couples and that includes
the absence of resolve to be a solid partner every day, not simply on
the days when a person feels like it.

9. Keep your finances in check: One of the most common reasons people
divorce is due to over-extending themselves financially. It is easy to
be a little reckless with spending when you're 20- or 30-something!
What helps to keep spending in check though is to agree to one bank
card. Set a limit for how much you can afford to charge on that card
and stick to it.

10. Forget the "baby will bring us closer" plan: Having a baby brings
great joy to all couples, usually, but it also creates a tremendous
amount of stress. If you think your marriage is faltering and having a
baby will change all that (i.e., bring you closer together) think
again! Nine times out of ten, it's quite the opposite. Wait until the
two of you are on solid ground together before you add anyone else to
your family!



Joel Schwartz handles all aspects of family law and is particularly interested in disputes involving younger couples. Known for his keen interest in the welfare of the children of any divorce, Schwartz offers clients superb counsel in that regard.


Nachshin & Weston represent many high-net worth individuals and celebrities such as actors, directors, producers and sports figures, as well as CEO's and homemakers. Among those the firm has represented are: John McTiernan, Terry McMillan, Snoop Dogg, Oscar de la Hoya, Bret Saberhagen, Gary Shefield, and the late Buck Owens, to name but a few. Bob Nachshin and Scott Weston, authors of the popular book, I Do, You Do , But Just Sign Here: A Quick and Easy Guide to Cohabitation, Prenuptial and, Postnuptial Agreements, are best known for their precedent-setting win in the Barry Bonds prenuptial case, where the pair prevailed at the California Supreme Court level.


For more information on Nachshin & Weston, visit: http://www.nwdivorce.com/.


Mr. Schwartz is available for further comment on the subject of young couples and divorce. Contact Cherie Kerr (cheriekerr@aol.com) for a Schwartz interview.


Source: Nachshin & Weston

CONTACT: Cherie Kerr, cheriekerr@aol.com; or Jennifer Lee,
kerrpr@aol.com, both for Nachshin & Weston, +1-714-550-9900