All marriages are unique, and so every divorce case presents its own facts, story, and situation. Even when two cases appear to be superficially similar, there can still be subtle differences which set them firmly apart. Nevertheless, while there is no question that each case is unique, it’s also true that we can see a pattern when we examine the underlying causes of divorce. In other words, although every factual scenario is different, we can see many of the same basic reasons turning up again and again. In this post, we’re going to identify and discuss a few of the primary reasons which lead to divorce, and then provide a bit more background and context on the whole situation.
The Main Reasons for Divorce
After reviewing numerous sources, we’ve narrowed things down and can come up with a list of 8 common reasons for divorce:
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- Alcoholism / substance abuse
- Financial problems
- Adultery / extramarital affairs
- Domestic violence
- Lack of physical intimacy
- Excessive conflict / arguing
- Incompatible values / views
- Marrying too young
These are just some of the primary reasons why couples divorce, and this information has been gathered from multiple surveys involving large numbers of people. If we just examine this list for a moment, we should see right away why these reasons dominate the list. Financial problems, for instance, are known to create all kinds of stress, and stress can rapidly lead to issues in other areas too. For instance, couples who stress over money are more likely to argue, and that leads to further separation between the parties. Financial issues, in other words, can quickly create a downward spiral which leads to dissolution. Domestic violence, adultery, alcoholism – again, we don’t need to ponder too much to see why these very serious problems could cause divorce.
Background / Context for Spouses Filing for Divorce
Although the reasons cited above are undoubtedly central in causing divorce, it’s important to fully understand all the relevant factors involved in divorce, and this requires that we understand the background and context of each case. For instance, the reasons for divorce tend to cluster differently according to age. Indeed, when we examine divorces by age, we can see certain patterns emerging with respect to the reasons cited for the dissolution. So, the context of a marriage, including the age of the partners, can impact the likelihood of divorce, and the likelihood of certain causes being present. In 2004, for instance, the AARP conducted a survey on middle to later aged divorcees – those between age 40 to 79 – and the survey revealed that certain reasons for divorce were more common than others. Among the middle to later aged divorcees, the most commonly cited reasons for dissolution were domestic violence (which includes verbal and emotional abuse), incompatible values, and infidelity. If we continue to break down the data, we will start to see other patterns; for instance, the reasons for divorce cited by parents will be somewhat different than those individuals from other situations, such as younger divorcees without children.
Contact the Drake Law Firm for More Information
Hopefully our discussion here has shed a bit of light on the reasons and causes of divorce. This matter is very complicated, and so we may return later for further exploration. For now, to learn more, reach out to the Drake Law Firm and speak to one of our attorneys by calling 303-261-8111.