While  the pervasive thought in the nation is that 50% of couples who marry will eventually seek a divorce, recent data suggests that the divorce rate has been declining steadily over the last several decades. According to economics to Justin Wolfers (LINK), if the current trend continues only 30% of marriages will result in divorce. What has changed however, over the last several decades is the variety of reasons that lead people to divorce. It used to be that the primary reason for divorce was due to marital unfaithfulness or another serious situation. Presently, there are a variety of reasons why someone would want a divorce. Click here to see examples.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

This is an obvious choice and one that will always remain a driving cause behind divorce. If one member of the marriage becomes abusive or violent towards the other, a divorce should be sought to ensure their health and safety. This is especially true when their are children involved.

DRIFTING APART

Another reason why people seek divorce is because the members of the marriage have drifted apart in their many years together. This typically happens to couples who have raised children together. They have gotten lost in their roles of raising the children and have not kept the romance and connection in the marriage strong. By the time the children are out of the house the relationship has nothing to stand on.

POOR COMMUNICATION

Poor communication can affect couples of all types. It is essential for any healthy marriage to have strong communication skills to navigate the challenges and obstacles that the marriage may face. This is increasingly difficult if the marriage is not able to have discussion and open dialogue in a constructive manner to address these issues. The couples that do not have these communication strategies are at a disadvantage and will often find themselves choosing a divorce to eliminate the constant communication battle.

DIFFERENT LIFE GOALS

An additional reason why people would seek a divorce is different views of what success looks like an life. Perhaps one member of the  marriage has a desire to travel to different areas of the world, such as third world countries. Then if the other spouse does not want that or share that desire the couple will have an additional obstacle to overcome. If the goals are different, then the couple can find themselves moving in opposite directions based on what they want.

LOSS OF SELF

Another reason why someone may want to seek a divorce is because they have lost their own individuality in the relationship.  This occurs when an individual cannot differentiate themselves from the relationship. They have lost touch with their interests, hobbies, likes and passions. When someone loses touch with their preferences of movies, favorite places to eat out and how to spend a leisurely afternoon then that loss of individuality can cause serious tension and friction in a marriage.

UNHAPPY

Lastly many couples choose to seek a divorce because they joined the marriage seeking a form of fulfillment. They have found that the marriage does not meet that need and ultimately they have become unhappy. Many people will seek a divorce to help ensure their happiness increases.

While our hope is that couples everywhere are able to join together for the right reasons and stay together because of their great love for one another we know that couples all across the world face many different types of adversity. These challenges impact couples in different ways and for some the challenges need to be addressed by choosing a divorce. If you are in the Puget Sound area and are seeking an divorce attorney who can advocate for your needs if you are going through a divorce proceeding please consider contacting Andrews and Arbenz. We are a divorce attorney Gig Harbor firm that can help through the process and make sure you know all of your options. Contact us today to learn more.