Nowadays, there are more and more people getting divorced. In fact, family court dockets are clogged with divorce cases. This leads to questions as to why people get divorced in the first place. Here are the top 5 most common causes:
- People change
A simple answer as to why people get divorced is that people change. The person you married may not be the same person you know today. And that’s owing to the changes in circumstances, external influences on behaviour, and a lot of other factors.
The whole point of marriage is to grow together, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. There are many cases where couples simply fall out of love with each other because of their differences.
- Inability to meet parental expectations
Having children is a huge responsibility and it’s definitely going to change a person. And the difference in obligations now that you have kids will really bring out personalities or characteristics that spouses never saw in each other before.
So when children come in, the whole relationship is put to the test. You are no longer just a couple — you become a family unit. Both parties have to adapt to that and meet their parental obligations. And when it becomes clear that one of the parties is unable to fulfill those obligations, it often causes disagreements and arguments between couples.
- Infidelity
Infidelity is one leading cause of divorce. It’s the kind of problem between couples that is just not easy to resolve. It’s hard to forgive an unfaithful spouse, and ultimately, this mistake causes bigger unresolvable issues for the marriage. It ruins one of the foundations of a good relationship — trust.
- Financial problems
Another big reason couples get divorced is because of financial issues. Problems with money can quickly become emotional and mental problems and then evolve into marital problems. It could be because they are having trouble sustaining their lifestyle, the inability to support their children, etc. A lot of issues can arise from money problems, making it the leading cause of marriages falling in a rut.
- Unhappiness
Divorce can also arise because of unhappiness — simple as that. Some people are just not happy with themselves or with the lives they are living. And this piece of unhappiness, anger, or frustration gets played out in different aspects of their lives. If unresolved, it grows and affects everyone — including their relationship with their spouses.
In marriage, it’s important that both parties are able to keep themselves grounded and in a healthy mental and emotional state. They are not living their lives for themselves anymore, especially if they have children. So it’s just a matter of keeping their side of the street clean.
Whatever the cause of divorce, the bottom line is that people grow apart. It’s part of the natural course of life. There will come challenges and adversity, but the most important thing is how we respond to it.