People often make the mistake of thinking that divorce simply happens when two people realize they do not love each other anymore. While that can play a role, it’s actually much more complicated and there are a lot of potential factors that enter into the equation. Below are five different issues that can end a marriage.
1. Substance abuse
Substance abuse and the closely related issue of drug addiction can absolutely end a relationship. While the non-addicted spouse may still care about the other person, there is a point when those types of decisions put the family in jeopardy. Substance abuse can lead to serious financial issues, safety issues for the kids and much more. If someone can’t or won’t stop, there may be no other option.
2. Financial stress
Money problems create a lot of stress and sometimes make couples feel like they’re working against each other. Maybe one spouse cannot hold down a job and so the family is constantly getting evicted due to unpaid rent. Maybe one person has poor spending habits — perhaps due to the substance abuse and addiction noted above — and continues spending money in ways that they just can’t afford. When money is too tight, some people look to divorce as the only way out.
3. Infidelity
This is the cliche reason for divorce in a lot of movies and TV shows, and it does happen in real life. Even when everything else is going well and the couple appears to be happy and successful from the outside, if one person finds out that the other was not faithful to the marriage, that can end it. For many people, it’s the ultimate deal-breaker and the one thing that they can never look past.
4. Communication breakdowns
It’s not always easy to communicate, but that means that needs and desires go unmet. It means that the relationship starts to fray. It can lead to emotional issues and misunderstandings. Many couples who feel like they no longer connect actually just do not communicate well.
5. Time apart
In some cases, people feel forced to spend time apart. One spouse may have to travel for work and spend weeks or months away from the family. Couples often have high hopes that they can make this long-distance relationship work, but the reality is that they slowly start to disconnect from the relationship. Eventually, all that is left to do is to officially end it.
Taking that step
Do you think that it’s time to end your marriage, perhaps due to some of the factors noted above? If so, make sure you understand exactly what legal steps you need to take.
