Do the ideals of marriage remain the same for remarriages?  Most of us have assumptions as to what makes a marriage successful.  Historically the cornerstone of a successful marriage in this country has been trust and some measure of equality.   Trust that our partner has our best interests, both financially and emotionally, at heart and that both partners are working together towards common goals.  Are these fundamentals of successful marriages the same for subsequent marriages or do remarriages warrant an updated, revised version of the old ideals?

How do remarriages live up to first marriage ideals?  When partners come into a second marriage with baggage (kids, debt, ex’s, past hurts/traumas) is it realistic to aspire to ideals that are formed fitting first marriages?  Ideals that are formed without accounting for baggage?  Is the ability to or level of trust irreparably compromised in a remarriage simply by having participated in a divorce?  Are finances handled the same when the financial scenario is not pristine?  Does equality remain consistent when perhaps financial circumstances are inconsistent in a remarriage?

Does the meaning of marriage change when partners have experienced a failed marriage?  Do we need a new set of ideals for subsequent marriages that takes into account issues that surround remarriages or is the point of an ideal that it is to be worked at and aspired to?  Do the fundamentals remain true even when the partners have not?