Third Year of Marriage is Happiest, But Fifth Year is Toughest

Couples are happiest in their third year of marriage, a latest survey by a U.K. law firm says.

In a survey of 2, 000 people, the researchers found that the fifth year of marriages is the hardest and third is the happiest followed by first year.

A UK-based law firm Slater & Gordon conducted the poll. The results showed that first year of marriage in any couple's life is generally the post-wedding happiness and in second-year they spend time knowing each other.

The third year is filled with comfort, happiness and plans to start a family for the married couples, according the study. The third year also witnesses the couples starting to share finances together. The couples also start home renovations and start enjoying the benefits of double salaries.

But, things seem to change by fifth year in marriages. "'It's not very often we see clients in those first few years of marriage but by the five year mark or a couple of years after they have children we often have married couples asking us for advice," Amanda McAlister, a family lawyer at Slater & Gordon, told the Telegraph. The poll found that by fifth year husbands and wives get tired, exhausted because of tremendous workload and looking after children.

The survey also noted that the couples who successfully passed the seven years mark in their married life were likely to have strong, long and happy married life.

A previous study in December 2012 found that couples who had 40 years of successful marriage were happier than newlyweds.