Bit of a strange one but interested in the opinions
So I'm at the age where it's time to think about starting a family, marriage and all that stuff. I've always been on the side of get married have kids ie a normal life.
But recently this has been severely questioned if this is a dangerous idea both emotionally and financially. Mainly due to my best mate getting divorced. He's only been married roughly 4 years to a women he's been with 7 years. It started after he found out she was having an affair 6 months after getting married and he for gave her but she has since had quite a few more since the last one he only found out due to getting a sti (Jeremy Kyle much?). Anyway he went to stay at his mom's for a few days on returning his keys wouldn't work and the police turned up and told him to leave as he broke some form of a court order.
Anyway 6 months on he has only seen his kids once for 20 minutes, his now exwife has been awarded the house he owned outright before marrying, his fairly new bmw m3 as her fiat 500 wasn't big enough for the kids and is now living with the guy she was cheating on him with in, he also lost most of his belongings as she wouldn't allow them to be collected and now claims to have thrown most of it out as no one collected them(tho she threaten 2 different people that she would have them arrested for harassment).she also gets 50% of his pension
As for the guy himself well he's a suicidal shell throwing money he now doesn't have trying to see his kids who is about to get sacked (from a really really good job) as he's just a mess.
But at one time both of them were a great couple and really in love who made most other couples look bad. So i just put it down in my head as his ex wife just had a really good lawyer and hopefully he can get back to have what he had in the next 10 years or so. He was just really unlucky.
Roll on tonight one of my misses mates got divorced this week she filed as her husband was "boring" she is laughing about how she has taken the ex husband for everything and he even had to pay the legal bill for her to do it. So again she seem to have got the house, a payout, pension full custody of the kids. And going by the fb posts he has to pay the mortgage on a house that he can't live in till the kids turn 18(is that possible?) And he has now had to move in with his parents.
These are professional people ie high up accountant and high up corporate.
I don't know if these are just a flook or if this is now how guys are dealt with in courts.
I know it's not romantic way to look at but surely if the latter is correct then strong consideration is needed as the risks seem fairly high and it could happen at anytime which at later in life could be a problem as you won't have time to recover before retiring.
Has any body else considered the pros and cons or got divorced recently(hoping to hear something positive)?
Is marriage worth it if your not religious?(don't mean to offend anyone as i know it's very important)