October 15, 2019

Deciding to divorce your partner (or vice versa) can be a very difficult time in your life, even if it’s an amicable split. There are many reasons why a couple might decide to get divorced. Usually, an attempt at reconciliation is made before the decision to divorce is made because of how time-consuming and stressful the process can be. However, the following are seven of the most common reasons for divorce:

1. Extramarital Affairs

Infidelity is one of the  biggest reasons for divorce. It can be extremely difficult for one partner to forgive another partner if they were unfaithful. One of the most important elements of a successful marriage is trust — and that trust is severely damaged if not destroyed if a partner has an affair. In many cases, there are underlying reasons for the infidelity which are the ultimately the cause for the marriage not working, such as anger and resentment.

2. Poor Communication

The inability to communicate effectively can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings and arguments that can quickly deteriorate a relationship. Learning how to communicate clearly to your partner is essential to creating a strong foundation for your marriage. Partners need to be able to share their thoughts and feelings and not keep each other in the dark about important matters that affect them both.

3. Money Problems

Financial stress can cause a serious strain between couples. This is especially true if the couple is struggling to make ends meet, or one partner is not financially responsible. It’s not always a lack of money that causes issues either. Couples who make vastly different amounts of money (or if one is unemployed while the other makes all the money) can have issues as a result of a power struggle.

4. A Lack of Intimacy

A lack of intimacy doesn’t necessarily refer to sex. It can be emotional intimacy as well. Partners who are not emotionally intimate (such as expressing feelings and listening to one another) or physically intimate in a non-sexual manner (think giving each other hugs, holding hands, and the like) are going to grow quickly apart. A lack of intimacy can also make a partner feel lonely. A lack of intimacy is what often leads to infidelity.

5. A Lack of Equality

If one partner feels like they have taken on almost all of the responsibility in the marriage (such as financial responsibility, emotional responsibility, and childcare responsibility, to name a few examples), it can lead to resentment over the lack of equality between the partners.

6. Abuse

Marriage can be difficult, but unfortunately, some partners cannot deal with it in a healthy manner and end up abusing their partners, whether it’s physically or emotionally. Partners who are abused will feel unloved and unsafe, which means that they will be much more likely to file for divorce, especially if children are involved and they fear for their safety as well.

7. Unrealistic Expectations About Marriage

Partners who have unrealistic expectations about marriage are more likely to want a divorce. For example, if someone thinks that their life is going to be perfect and that there will be no financial problems or emotional problems to deal with is going to be in some shock if those issues surface. No couple goes through marriage without challenges that need to be overcome.

These are seven of the most common reasons for divorce. If you and your partner are considering a divorce, you will want to speak with an experienced divorce attorney today. To schedule a consultation, contact Michael E. Bryant to discuss your case in detail.