A large cultural shift has occurred in the past few decades involving divorce, child support lawyers, and the overall view of marriage. What this shift has most prominently done is destigmatize divorce by bringing more acceptance of it as a common occurrence. Divorce happens frequently in the United States and many couples whether married, divorced, or neither, want to get some more insight into the process and causes of it.
Currently in the U.S. the divorce rate among adults ages 16-65 is decreasing, but the current divorce rate still hovers above 45%. The question is why would someone want a divorce?
Most Common Causes of Divorce
- Conflict – usually in the form of arguing followed by a breakdown in the relationship. Different values and disagreements simply cause too much trouble in the relationship.
- Commitment – Many couples have cited commitment issues where one spouse is much more involved in the relationship than the other, or both spouses begin to move away from commitment.
- Infidelity – Affairs outside of the marriage are a common reason for a breakdown of a marriage
- Communication – Having difficulty reasoning with one another, or having simplified channels of communication often cause a breakdown in marriage relations.
- Distance – Due to a variety of reasons, couples are experiencing a lack of physical intimacy which leads to relationship breakdown.
- Domestic abuse – This can come in the form of physical violence or verbal and emotional abuse.
- Difference in values and morals – Spouses may realize that they do not have the same values or morals which causes difficulty in future planning.
- Substance abuse or alcohol addiction
- Lack of affection or romantic gestures – Some couples report finding it difficult to be romantic.
- Spouses being unable to properly divide family workload – Whether it be kids, income, or home maintenance, these tasks can become cumbersome if unable to be shared.
- Financial desperation or debt – This can occur due to the loss of a job, or many other financial pitfalls that lead to a breakdown of trust in the relationship.
- Marrying young – Some couples decide to marry quite young, which can work for many, but not all.
- Lack of shared interest – This can lead to difficulty finding things in common and may make communication and romance difficult.
Factors of divorce, Child Support Lawyers, and Legal Proceedings
Divorce rates vary heavily by age with middle age and older couples divorcing at a rate nearly double that of couples in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. A study done by AARP in 2004 surveyed 1,147 divorced individuals, 51% men, and 49%, and found that the top 3 reasons for divorce amongst middle-aged couples were domestic violence, followed by a difference in morals, and finally, infidelity.
Among older couples (ages 50+) were found to have many different reasons for divorcing. These included a lack of physical intimacy and breakdowns in communication.
In a nationwide study of divorce performed by Insider.com, The Huffington Post, Forbes, and NCBI, there was a very wide range of reasons that broke down as follows: (individuals were allowed to cite multiple reasons in their answers)
- Commitment issues – 75%
- Adultery – 59%
- Conflict/moral differences – 57%
- Marrying too young – 45%
- Financial issues – 36%
- Substance abuse or addiction – 34%
- Domestic violence – 24%
- Mental illness – 18%
- Lack of relative/family support – 17%
- Religious differences – 13%
Need more Information?
Want more information regarding the legal processes behind divorce, or need assistance with your case? Call the divorce and child support lawyers at Flesner Wentzel! Our team would be happy to answer any questions you may have and assist you with your case. Contact us today!
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