Marriages in Chile

Divorce was legalized in Chile in 2004, and an article in La Tercera addresses a curious fact. In 2006, the number of marriages increased dramatically, whereas since 1996 it had been steadily decreasing. Correlation is not necessarily causation, of course, but one hypothesis is that people are more willing to get married if they know that if it goes wrong, there is an orderly and legal way to deal with it. Apparently when Chilean couples get their marriage licenses, they often ask about the way in which everything would get divided.

The logic seems weird to me, but I suppose it’s the same idea as prenuptial agreements in the U.S., when people get married only after they’ve mapped out what will happen if it all goes wrong. I wonder, though, about the long-term effect of planning for divorce before you’re even married.