Approximately one in four people who marry this year will be divorced in seven years. Three fourths of those that divorce remarry within three years. Slightly more, about 80% of divorced people, remarry at some point.

Approximately 83% of all divorced men and 75% of all divorced women ultimately remarry. About 55% of those remarriages also end in divorce at some point. Psychologists tell us that the four most common reasons for divorce are:

• Lack of clear communications between partners,
• Unrealistic expectations of the marriage or the other spouse,
• Personal power struggles, and
• Conflict over roles.

It is common wisdom that economic problems or a lack of money is an important reason for divorce. It turns out that lack of money is more of a symptom than a cause for the breakup of a marriage.

If psychologists are correct, then the preoccupation with monetary issues in a prenuptial agreement misses the real dangers to the marriage or relationship. Yet a proposed marriage that lacks full and honest disclosure between two people at the beginning almost certainly is doomed.

It is hard to change the decision to marry once it is made. A strong emotional investment was made and announced when you decided to marry. It is easy not to think about or deal with anything that detracts from that commitment and decision.

Have the basic issues that commonly lead to the breakup of a marriage been discussed? Lack of communication over the details of a prenuptial agreement, conflict over family roles, conflicts over personal decision making power, all need to be resolved in the process leading to a prenuptial if there is to be any real hope of the marriage or relationship lasting "until death do us part".

Surveys of men and women who say they are happily married distill it down:

"My spouse is my best friend.
We can communicate at every level."

That should be the goal of every person who enters into a prenuptial agreement.