Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk’s wife, British actress Talulah Riley, filed for divorce on March 21st in Los Angeles. Musk may be experiencing deja vu right about now, as this is the second time that the couple will be going through a divorce. Originally married in 2010, the two already divorced in 2012. Then they remarried just a year later, in 2013. And yet again, Musk filed for divorce in 2015, only to later dismiss his request. This time it is Riley who pulled the trigger to initiate the divorce process once again.
This love story might sound like quite the rollercoaster ride, but is the billionaire co-founder of Paypal and Tesla really much different from the rest of us? We can only speculate as to why two people who decide to divorce would want to give marriage another try, especially so quickly after the divorce was finalized! Past splits for this couple have seemed pretty amicable, showing that they truly do care for each other, but perhaps one or both of them just aren’t able or willing to put in the hard work that marriage requires.
While it’s not that commonly we hear about couples divorcing and then remarrying, it actually isn’t as rare as one might think. It turns out that as many as 10% of couples who get divorced end up remarrying. And while other research shows that about 67% of second marriages and 73% of third marriages typically end in divorce, the statistics are much more forgiving when it comes to the couples who remarry each other. In fact, research indicates that only 28% of these second marriages will end in divorce.
So, what would make a couple decide to get divorced and then decide to get remarried? You’ve heard the sayings, “distance makes the heart grow fonder” and “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” and it seems that these remarrying couples show us just that. However, for people considering remarriage to someone that they have already been divorced from, there are some important considerations to keep in mind.
You must remember that you are marrying the same person and you must have realistic expectations when it comes to the extent that you think they may have changed since the first time around. In order to prevent facing the same issues that caused your first divorce, you may find it wise to seek marital or premarital counseling. Counseling shouldn’t just be a step taken once your marriage has already begun disintegrating; it can be a crucial component in maintaining open lines of communication within your marriage and preventing issues from arising in the first place.
Further, a couple would be wise to consider entering a prenuptial agreement before being wed for a second time. Although pre-nups can be a sensitive topic for many couples, being realistic about the fact that your marriage failed once before and that there is a possibility that it could happen again could save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run. This is one step that Musk and Riley did take prior to their marriages, with Musk already having paid out millions of dollars to Riley after their previous splits. But fortunately for him, millions of dollars barely puts a dent in his multi-billion dollar wallet.
Regardless of whether you are in your first, second, or third marriage, please contact us if you are considering a divorce from your spouse, a legal separation, or have questions regarding child custody and visitation. Nancy J. Bickford is the only Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) in San Diego County who is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Don’t settle for less when determining your rights. Call 858-793-8884 in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, North County or San Diego.