Many experts predicted that the pandemic would drive up the divorce rate, but those numbers were somewhat inconclusive at first. After all, it’s human nature to stick together during times of uncertainty regardless of how dysfunctional the marriage was. Safety in numbers — this is practical. But before Omicron hit at the end of 2021, things had loosened up, and people were dissolving their marriages.
Common causes are no surprise
Now entering our third year, some reasons for divorce are not that surprising. They include:
- Cabin fever: Living on top of one another (literally or figuratively) can cause an incredible amount of stress, mainly when everyone is working from home, quarantined, locked down, or avoiding public indoor spaces.
- Not enough time: Marriages are about building a life together over time, which can then help prepare couples for facing complex challenges together. In the last five years, couples married or were still relatively young made up 60% of those seeking divorce during the pandemic.
- Money trouble: Financial problems or disagreements over spending are some of the most significant contributors to divorce. This strain wears couples out and elevates their stress levels. It only worsens when one or both spouses are out of work or furloughed.
- Kids: Raising a family is hard but trying to coparent children cooped up in a house is harder. Add distance learning to the equation, and it can seem impossible, particularly when parents are not equally sharing the child-rearing burdens.
- Pressure cooker: Some relationships can coast along for years out of habit as they slowly break down. Being stuck together during these unprecedented times can accelerate the marriage’s disintegration.
- Mediation: Despite family courts often remaining active during the pandemic, those burned out by one of the above reasons often want to find a workable solution as fast as possible with a minimum of instability amidst these unstable times.
You are not stuck
Many feel stuck or trapped by what is going on. However, many couples are able to work through the challenges of divorce. It enables them to regain some control over their lives and minimize what they no longer feel is a solution for moving forward with their lives. Those with questions about how to dissolve a marriage during these challenging times can speak with an experienced attorney who is now an old hand at pandemic divorces.