If you’re headed for divorce, you have plenty of company. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), “about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce.” For second and subsequent marriages, the divorce rate is higher, the APA reports.
While divorce was not nearly as common in the 1950s as it is today, much has changed in the divorce landscape. What societal changes have led to the steady increase in divorce? After years of research and many studies, experts have concluded that not only is divorce more socially acceptable today than ever before, but women’s financial independence has a lot to do with the rise in divorce.
Why Do People Divorce?
There are the obvious reasons, such as infidelity, money problems, and domestic violence, but we know that people divorce for other reasons as well. For example, dealing with a disability, such as Multiple Sclerosis, a child with autism, alcoholism, and substance abuse are all known to strain a marriage, sometimes to the breaking point.
As a divorce law firm, we’ve seen and heard it all. We’ve learned that not all divorces are the result of cheating, a Facebook affair, or spousal abuse. In fact, some of the “reasons” why people divorce may surprise you. Then again, if you’re in an unhappy marriage, these reasons may make perfect sense.
Some of the reasons people cite for the cause of their divorce:
- He does not get along with her parents.
- She has a major spending problem.
- He lies and she can’t trust him.
- He’s so aggressive, she can’t imagine him being the father of her children.
- She has an eating disorder and she won’t seek professional help.
- After many months (or years), he won’t get a job.
- He keeps losing the couple’s money through “questionable” investments or business ventures and she’s done.
- After three months, she got pregnant and he popped the question. Now, they’re wondering why they’re married to each other.
- They have absolutely nothing in common and they bore each other.
- They fight about everything from the way she disciplines their children to housework.
- When they got married, she turned into her mother and nagged about everything.
- After the marriage, she discovered that he had an abusive childhood and because of his past, he’s an emotionally unstable person who scares her.
If you can relate to any of the above points on the bullet list and you’re considering a divorce, we encourage you to contact our office to speak with a San Fernando Valley divorce attorney who is board certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in family law.
