People in San Jose who get married after meeting on an online dating site might be more likely to stay married than couples who meet in another way. While there is a perception that only casual daters use online dating sites, studies have reached different conclusions.
One study conducted by economics professors at the University of Vienna and the University of Essex used models to predict that marriages that began with couples meeting online were more likely to last longer. In another study that appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, only 7 percent of the more than 19,000 couples who met online and married got a divorce compared to the national divorce rate of 40 to 50 percent. Furthermore, more than 7 percent of couples who met offline broke up compared to just 5.9 percent of couples whose first meeting was online.
There are a few reasons this may be the case. Questionnaires on dating sites aim to match people who are compatible. It may also be the case that when people go on dating sites, they are ready for marriage.
Unfortunately, marriages that start both online and offline may end in divorce. In a community property state like California, marital assets are considered to belong to both people. This is generally any property that the couple acquires after marriage although there may be certain exceptions such as inheritances. If only one person worked outside the home, that person’s retirement account and money acquired since the marriage may be split 50/50 unless the two have a prenuptial agreement. A couple may also decide to divide property in accordance with a settlement agreement negotiated with the help of their respective family law attorneys.