Not law related but the women here have wonderful advice. How did you know your partner was the one? What made you feel ready to marry them?

Not to be a sap but I had never felt more like myself than when I first started speaking to my now-husband. Everyone has different priorities but I had a difficult family growing up so finding someone with whom I could 100% be my unapologetic self was everything. Also, he made a lot of dad jokes (and still does…). This year will mark 12 years together and 8 years married. During that time, we went through his fiancé visa application and green card interview, he went back to school and started a new career, and we have been trying for kids for a few years. Trust has never been an issue also, which is major.

I felt at peace.

If people really knew, the divorce rate wouldn’t be as high as it is.

The way I felt when with him. Loved and supported. Having fun just being together. Never running out of things to talk about. Common values and goals.

I dated my now-husband for 12 years before we got married, and only got married when we decided to have kids. In that 12 years we went through a lot of big life stuff together - death of a parent, life-altering medical crisis, long-distance, etc. I knew we could make it through anything life threw at us.

I don't feel like I need to put on a show. We've seen each other at our best and worst, and the love is the same.

Gut instinct that it was okay to take a leap of faith with him. I was also older though and trusted my sense of self and perceptiveness.

Been with my husband for 18 years, married for almost 14. He is the only person I feel truly comfortable with. I am not an easy person, admittedly surly and have a bad temper. But I’ve never felt he resents having to “deal” with me or had any doubts he was going to leave. We met when I was pretty young but we were able to grow together, he is incredibly supportive (moved from state to state to state for my career and whims). We got married because when I was pretty young (he’s older by 9 years) because I wanted to get married before law school, ha. If I had to sum it up, it is just the ease and sense of home I feel with him that I’d never felt before.

I met my husband, who was recently widowed, during my summer between 2L and 3L.

I had my clerkship in place, and I figured I would profit International Tax (plus LLM) and would likely never meet the right person for me.

Then, in a tiny town in South Central Pennsylvania, I met and got to know my next door neighbor. I saw how strong and kind he was -- and saw that he was a great father to his two children.

I knew he was special, but I had my life plan in place -- but then, I decided to take a chance and start dating, then contribute long-distance after the summer's end.

That Christmas, my father died -- without warning and on the day after his Christmas Eve birthday. My husband supported both me and my mother through it all.
That's when I knew.

In August, we will celebrate our 30th anniversary. While we have struggled financially at times and have ended many family health issues, he has remained kind, strong, and faithful.

I met my husband in law school and we were just friends for almost 8 years, and I debated for a long time if there could he something more or not. After we started dating I knew he was the one when id get sad when he left (we lived in different states most of our friendship, started dating while in the same state but different cities and I moved out of state for a job). I'd start to cry when I dropped him off at the airport. That's how I knew I loved him unlike others.

I am an independent sort and not an emotional person like that. I mean there are many reasons I love him: he doesnt try to change me (I dont try to change him), he is smart, funny, shows up for things when he says he will, he appreciates me, he is driven, he makes me a better version of myself in most ways, etc. My relationship with him isnt like my other ones in the past. We genuinely trust each other. He checks my most important boxes, as he is mentally stable and able to communicate. Lol. Dont get me wrong, sometimes we fight, get angry, dont communicate, etc but mostly we do.

The married question is harder. Lol. I don't think I ever needed to get married, but he wouldn't have kids outside of marriage.

For me, I'd spent so much time with the wrong one that this felt like the most magical thing in the world. Also, real talk, I knew I'd be a happy pillow princess for all the rest of my years.

We got engaged after a month and just celebrated 18 years.

It was really easy and comfortable from the start. Not so comfy that there weren’t butterflies, but so much easier than all of my prior relationships. He now says he felt the same. 11 years together, 8 years married and 3 kids down…so far so good!

I just "knew," almost immediately, which I realize is not at all helpful. We clicked in all the ways and made/make each other laugh. Had tons in common in both superficial and deep ways. He was the first guy I dated whom I immediately wanted to marry - after having sworn my entire life that I would never do so. Even though he wasn't necessarily my "type" on paper. He was/is solid, reliable, honest, mature (9 years older, which helps), and has all-around good character. Identified himself as a feminist up front and lives it. Actually *likes* women and always has female work friends. (And patiently tolerates my interrogations regarding said friends.) Not threatened by my independence or emasculated by my making more money. Immediately let me know how he felt about me. No games and no drama. Married within 9 months of meeting and just celebrated our 20th. I love him just so much and am thankful every day that we stumbled across each other online. I am super lucky and am setting the bar really high, I'm realizing. 😆 So, drilling down, I think if you have games or drama or if the relationship feels "hard," something else is going on that does not bode well for the long term.

He was thrilled for every career success I had and not threatened by them. He enjoys deep discussions and doesn't mind my views on things. Exes past have said they felt dumb when I "used big words," if that tells you anything. 🤣

When I wasn’t questioning myself if he was the one. This is my second marriage. It’s like they say - you just know. With my first marriage I had some doubtful moments and looking back I should’ve listened to myself.

When I met my now-husband, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend - there was such a sense of familiarity, comfort, and safety. He was very kind to me, prioritized me, and never raised his voice to me. He’s also very honest with me and has never given me a reason not to trust him about something.

We had shared values (including the fact that he really cared about other people), he was smart and funny and driven, we really clicked and conversation was easy and electric, and he was really good to me (like he used to wake up early to move my car so it wouldn’t get a ticket). I felt ready to get married when we were at a good point in our lives - we’d just made it through 3 years of long distance so our communication and trust were really on lock, graduated law school and settled into jobs, and lived with each other for about a year before getting engaged.

F