The reasons people get divorced are nuanced and can be complex. Surprisingly, adultery isn’t one of the causes according to experts on marriage and divorce. Adultery is often a symptom of a bigger or other problem in the marriage. What are the top reasons people get divorced? We have them right here:
1. Abuse –
This covers any type of abuse: physical, mental, verbal, sexual, financial… Abuse in a marriage is a recipe for eventual divorce. While a hot topic in the news lately, abusive behavior should never be tolerated in any relationship, including marriage.
2. Significant events –
Some kind of significant event such as the loss of a child or other family member can make one or both parties realize they aren’t happy in the marriage. They realize that life is too short and too precious to spend it being miserable and that their marriage isn’t what they wanted it to be or expected it to be.
3. Money –
Financial issues are one of the top causes of divorce. Building up debt, not filing taxes, not paying bills and not contributing equally to the financial wellbeing of the household are all money-related issues that can be a death knell in a marriage. Money troubles can become major issues if not handled and adjusted quickly and fairly.
4. Grow apart –
Some couples simply just grow apart over time. They each change and grow in different ways and can’t reconcile those changes with their partner in a way that the marriage still works. This is a common issue with high school sweethearts and college sweethearts. What once worked no longer does and the discrepancy is enough to end in divorce.
5. They settled –
One or both partners “settled”. This doesn’t mean people who have settled can’t fall in love. A high number of arranged marriages, for example, are one instance where the parties both settle and grow to love one another. However, in many cases, when one party settles, their heart isn’t in the marriage, and they end up getting divorced.
6. Rebound marriages –
Studies show that the higher the number of marriages a person has, the more likely they are to get divorced again. The cause here is that one party has engaged in a 2nd, 3rd, 4th marriage without properly healing and moving on from the previous one(s).
Matters of marriage and divorce are rarely simple. Even with this list of top reasons people get divorced, there are nuances and complexities involved where the couple can possibly adjust and save the marriage and other times when no amount of adjustment will save the relationship.
