I got married at 26 to a beautiful woman that was 21. I Had a great contracting company and I was on the top of the world. She came from an affluent family and her stepdad was also a contractor. The plan was to combine and grow. Only six months after we got married her parents split. Her mother was cheating on her dad. A long and bitter divorce ensued and her father ended up broke and moved to Florida. His contracting company was insolvent due to the divorce. I ended up getting a job as a NYS corrections officer and also did my side hustle contracting. Fast forward 23 years. My wife filed for a divorce and I was served on Christmas Eve 2014. I was devastated to say the least. Because I was the bread winner I paid DEARLY. My family wanted for nothing. I ended up loosing my home ( that was mortgage free) half my retirement and half my savings. In all she got about 600k. My ex also had a credit card problem. The first time was 10k, second time was 16k and the last time was 41k. I arranged for a payoff because she was my wife. In short I WOULD NEVER PUT MYSELF IN A POSITION LIKE THAT AGAIN. Marriage is a money making institution and has absolutely NOTHING to do with love. If you do decide to marry, marry a woman that’s comparable to you including your income and intellect. Best advice DONT DO IT!!!!