Most Common Reasons People Get a Divorce

No couple gets married with the expectation of getting divorced. Things change over the weeks, months, and years that they are together. In the U.S., more than 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. More than 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce, and 73 percent of third marriages end up in divorce court.

Texas Allows for a No-Fault Divorce

Texas ranks 15^th among the 50 states for divorces. Texas provides for a no-fault divorce. This means that when one spouse files for divorce, the reason for the divorce is generally “insupportability.” That means the spouse does not need to prove the other one did anything wrong. The marriage just isn’t working out.

Although proving fault is not required to get a divorce, courts often take the misconduct of one party into account when dividing property. This includes misconduct like adultery or wasting assets of the marital community. Research shows there are many other reasons people get divorced.

Main Reasons People Get Divorced

A recent survey of those going through divorce found eight main reasons for a couple to split up. For some couples, there was more than one reason. Here are the top reasons, not necessarily in the order of frequency.

• Lack of commitment. This includes extra-marital affairs, failure to communicate, failure to discuss the problems in the marriage, and refusal to work on the problems to try and improve the situation.
• Growing apart/incompatibility. This is a difficult one to articulate. The couple generally will not be spending much time together and go their separate ways for most activities.
• Lack of communication. The couple either doesn’t talk to each other anymore, or when they do talk, they repeat the same argument over and over without a resolution.
• Infidelity. In one study, 60 percent of respondents gave infidelity as the reason for the divorce. In many cases, there were other reasons, but an extra-marital affair by one party was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
• Inability to agree on financial issues. The couple fights continually over money. One spends, one saves. They keep spending secrets from each other. This finally pushes one of them to the divorce court.
• Substance abuse. Approximately 35 percent of responders cited their partner’s drug or alcohol abuse as the reason for the divorce.
• Domestic abuse. Approximately one-third of older couples listed physical, emotional, or verbal abuse as the reason for their divorce.
• Disagreements over family issues. The couple disagrees about how to raise their children. How much time to spend with their own parents and siblings. Which partner should be involved in which household or marital duties?

For information about how Springer & Lyle can help guide you through the divorce process, contact us online or call Daniel Abasolo at 940-387-0404.