Studies find the main reasons for divorce

Divorce happens for many different reasons. Everyone’s situation is a little bit different. Each case is unique. Even so, you can look at the general trends and see why divorce tends to happen.

In fact, a few studies simply asked couples why they decided to split up. Here are some of the main reasons that they gave:

• They found out that they were not compatible after getting married
• One person had an affair
• One person struggled with drug use or excessive drinking
• They felt like they simply grew apart over time
• They were too young when they got married — which could be why they grew apart
• At least one person had a “lack of commitment” to the marriage
• They did not do any preparation for the marriage in advance, or they did not do enough
• They ran into serious financial problems that put stress on the marriage

Some of these issues happen at the same time. It’s not hard to see how a lack of commitment could lead to an affair, for instance. It’s also clear that drug use and addiction could in turn lead to economic hardship when the family’s money gets spent to fuel that addiction. As noted above, people who grew apart may have started the marriage when they were very young; if they got married at 18, they may not feel like the same people at all by the time they hit 35.

Is your marriage ending? Regardless of the reasons for the split, take your time with this complex process and make sure you know your rights.