Survey Reveals Reasons for Divorce

Roughly 25 percent of married people in this country have thought about getting a divorce in the past six months, and about half of them had been contemplating it over for a year or more. A quarter of them report that they’d like to work things out, if  only their spouses would pledge to make some drastic changes. Why are so many people disappointed in their marriages?  A new study reveals some of the central reasons that divorce is on the minds of so many Americans.

What We Know 

Nearly 700,000 couples were divorced in 2021.  For those in a first marriage, only about half remain together for a lifetime.  And the rate of divorce is much higher for second marriages: an alarming 67 percent. The divorce rate for third marriages tops 70 percent! How long does it take for a marriage to collapse? Statistics say the average marriage lasts about eight years.

Why Couples Divorce 

It’s certainly true that no single issue will take down a marriage. But most couples can point to a central problem that grated in their marriages. Recent research indicates what those key problems are that cause a marriage to collapse:

1. Lack of Commitment: About 75 percent of couples report that a lack of commitment to the marriage was the central issue that led to divorce.
2. Adultery: Three in five couples say that cheating spouses caused the marriage to fall apart.
3. Disagreements: Continuous arguing led to the breakdown of nearly 60 percent of marriages.
4. Youth: Nearly 50 percent of couples divorced after determining that they’d simply been too young to commit to marriage.
5. Money: Economic issues dogged about 40 percent of couples, who ultimately divorced under the pressure.
6. Domestic Abuse:  One in four couples report that domestic abuse led to the fall of the marriage.
7. No Family Support: Almost two of every ten couples reported that their marriage ended because they needed more family support.
8. Illness: The drain of health difficulties led to 17 percent of splits.
9. Religion: The failure to overcome religious differences resulted in over one in ten divorces.

The Last Straw 

For many couples, problems gurgle under the surface until somebody hits a tipping point that makes the marriage impossible to sustain. That last straw was reported as infidelity for 24 percent of those questioned, domestic violence for 21 percent, and substance abuse for 12 percent. Notably, none of the partners in the study agreed on the last straw issue in their marriage, but the majority of respondents made a point of saying that their partners should have put more effort into the marriage.

Your Advocate 

If your marriage is on the rocks, the experienced Boca Raton divorce attorneys at WiseLieberman can help.  To discuss your goal in the split, schedule a confidential consultation in our Boca Raton office today.

Source:

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