A study by an independent family therapy counselor found that poor lifestyle and financial planning were two main reasons that couples seeking a divorce.

The study polled both married and divorced couples in hopes of pinpointing the biggest factors that lead to marital dissatisfaction and divorce.

Marital Dissatisfaction

Simply having an in-depth discussion about important family matters before deciding to tie the knot could solve many of the issues that caused marital dissatisfaction. Some of those issues include:

A couple on a couch, possibly discussing marital dissatisfaction.

  • Neglecting to discuss future ambitions (60%)
  • Failing to discuss whether or not to have children (40%)
  • Failing to discuss where to live in detail (45%)

Many couples may have had surface-level conversations about the future, but the survey shows how important it is to have detailed discussions about your future plans to make sure you and your partner are truly compatible.

When getting engaged, couples spend so much effort planning for the wedding day of their dreams that they lose sight of the next 50 years of married life. Sadly, this is the underlying reason for the majority of divorces, as couples with different ideas and expectations start to drift apart and no longer connect a few years down the track.

While wedding planning can be fun, preparing for your future life together takes some serious planning. Although, as a household, you may be drawing two incomes, couples also inherit each other’s debt once they tie the knot. Couples that fail to plan for the future may soon see their marital assets and debts divided in a divorce.

Reasons for Divorce

When examining only the divorced couples, researchers noticed that an extra-marital affair ranked as the top reason for seeking a divorce. Other reasons include (respondents could select more than one answer):

  • Affair (33%)
  • Selfishness (22%)
  • Personality traits (14%)
  • Abusive behavior (14%)
  • Different expectations from life (13%)
  • Job loss or debt (12%)
  • Interfering in-laws (11%)
  • Got married too young (9%)

Disclaimer: Using this site or communicating with Burton Family Attorneys through this site does not form an attorney/client relationship. This site is legal advertising only. Do not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to legal advice from your attorney or other professional legal services providers. If you have any specific questions about any legal matter, you should consult your attorney or professional legal services providers.