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Divorce Regret & What Happens To Couples Who Remarry Each Other

Filing for divorce doesn’t necessarily mean that you ever stopped loving your former spouse. Sometimes life factors make a relationship inconvenient or even impossible, leading a married couple to split. This is undoubtedly the case for many of the approximately half of marriages that end in divorce. If you’ve found yourself on a divorce attorney’s website, things might not currently be going so smoothly in your relationship. And while one might expect that divorced spouses feel relief at the end of the process, there is another emotion that many divorcees experience- regret. Some divorced spouses feel so much regret that they decide to marry their ex again months or years after the divorce has been finalized. Do these couples prove that absence makes the heart grow fonder, or should they have listened to their instincts and let their first breakup be the last? Read on to learn more about divorce regret and remarriage, and especially how it pertains to Arizona family law. To schedule your free consultation with an experienced Arizona divorce lawyer, call 480-470-1504.

Famous Examples Of Breakup Regret

There have been several high-profile couples over the years who have broken up just to reunite, and make rekindling their relationship official. These couples have had varying degrees of success in their second shot at love. Some of the most famous examples of breakup regret include:

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton: This Hollywood royalty duo fell in love on the set of the 1962 film Cleopatra. Their first marriage lasted for 10 years, but didn’t come without turmoil. Their relationship was reported to be rife with substance abuse and domestic violence, and they both left their spouses to be with each other. But they also starred in 11 films together, and he gifted her legendary jewelry, including the Taylor-Burton Diamond. After releasing a divorce film called Divorce His, Divorce Hers in 1973, they got divorced in real life in 1974. They got back together quickly, getting remarried in Botswana in 1975. Their second marriage lasted less than a year, and they both remarried new people in 1976.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: This iconic couple got married in 1929. While they were separated in age by more than two decades, they shared a passion for art. Rivera had to divorce his then-wife, Guadalupe Marín, to pursue Kahlo. Rivera continued his pattern of infidelity and cheated with Kahlo’s sister. Kahlo maintained her own lovers throughout the marriage, including Leon Trotsky. They got divorced in 1939, only to remarry in 1940. They remained married until Kahlo passed away in 1954 after a lifelong struggle with poor health.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez: Those of a certain age will remember when Bennifer dominated the headlines. They seemed to be the perfect mismatched couple that somehow works. They originally met in 2002, got engaged, but had broken up by 2004. They both went on to marry and have children with different people- Affleck with Jennifer Garner, and Lopez with Marc Anthony. However, they reunited in 2021 and tied the knot in 2022. Despite becoming a news sensation with their public display of a second shot at love, they sadly divorced in 2025.

What Are The Odds?

Is the second time the charm, or is tying the knot with the same person a second time around a long shot? The current divorce rate for first marriages sits at about 43%. It increases to about 60% for second marriages, not factoring in marrying the same person twice. The divorce rate for third marriages is approximately 73%. Somewhere between 10% and 15% of divorced couples reconcile, with 6% actually getting remarried. The divorce rate for these marriages is 30%, or about half of the divorce rate for second marriages in general. This suggests that many of these couples worked on the issues that led them to divorce during their time apart. This could include individual therapy or couples’ counseling, rehabilitation treatment for substance abuse, or a career change. They may have additional incentive to reconcile if they share children in common or own a business together.

Arizona’s Mandatory Waiting Period For Divorce

Arizona family law recognizes that a significant portion of couples who file for divorce eventually reconcile. That’s one of the reasons that there is a mandatory waiting period for all couples who file for divorce in Arizona. You can find Arizona’s divorce waiting period in A.R.S. § 25-329. Compared to many laws in our Revised Statutes, it is a short and clear rule. An Arizona family law court must wait at least 60 days before finalizing a divorce. There is no special factor that can help a couple get around this rule. Waiting periods vary by state, and a few, including Alaska, Nevada, and Hawaii, have no statutory waiting period for divorce.

A married couple must also meet Arizona’s residency requirement to qualify to file for divorce in our state. If a couple has recently moved to Arizona, this could extend how long it would take to be granted a divorce here. Arizona’s residency requirement for divorce can be found in A.R.S. § 25-312. One spouse of a married couple must have been domiciled here (or stationed here while a member of the armed forces) for at least 90 days before the court can proceed with a divorce. But for many couples, a divorce also requires the resolution of child custody and child support. Residency requirements for custody matters can be different than divorce residency requirements. A child must reside in Arizona for at least 180 days before a court here can hear custody and child support disputes.

Marriage Reconciliation Agreements

A marriage reconciliation agreement is a type of postnuptial agreement meant to clarify responsibilities and the division of assets in case of a divorce. A postnuptial agreement is similar to a prenuptial agreement that can assign nearly any right or obligation in a marriage, but it is entered into after the wedding as opposed to before the wedding. Spouses can use marriage reconciliation agreements to specify who gets which assets in the event of divorce, whether there will be spousal support, who will be responsible for paying off debt, and more. The only exceptions to what can be predetermined with a marital contract are child support and child custody. Spouses typically use these when they are having issues in their relationship and are on the brink of divorce. For example, one spouse might struggle with substance abuse, and sign a marriage reconciliation agreement giving up their share to a marital asset should they ever divorce due to a relapse. Or, one spouse might sign a reconciliation agreement agreeing to pay spousal support to convince their spouse to stay after getting caught cheating.

Arizona Family Lawyers For Divorce, Remarriage, & More

For some couples, divorce isn’t the end, but rather just a bump in the road over the course of their entire relationship. Couples who divorce and remarry have a lower divorce rate than couples getting married for the second time as a whole. But that doesn’t mean that these spouses should get remarried without taking legal precautions. Everyone’s situation is different, meaning they require different legal actions. It may take more than online research and self-help to meet your legal needs. Hiring a high-quality family law attorney in Arizona is more affordable than you may think. Arizona Family Lawyers, LLC offers competitive rates and free consultations by phone. Get scheduled today at 480-470-1504 to learn more.