Women's chances of getting remarried diminish after separation and divorce, according to the findings of a new study.

Their chances of moving on and finding a successful relationship can be particularly hampered when there are children from a previous relationship or marriage.

The study, conducted by Dutch researcher Anne-Rigt Poortman, revealed that the prospects of embarking on a new relationship are slimmer for women as compared to men. One reason for this may be that women are far more cautious after a failed marriage or cohabiting relationship than men are.

Hmm. From everything I've seen and heard, this tends to be true. I've noticed that men tend to remarry or secure a significant relationship within three years of being divorced or widowed. In my opinion, men tend to gravitate back to relationships quite easily.

Poortman also found that while separated or divorced, people still wanted a partner and furthermore, had a stronger desire for less committed types of relationships such as a living-apart-together relationship or unmarried cohabitation.

Interestingly, her findings reveal that divorced people preferred not to live with a partner, whereas people who have only cohabited in the past prefer that arrangement. The study also found that divorced men and women appear to prefer divorced partners. And people who have gone through a divorce are more likely to get divorced again.

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