The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly proven itself as a major life disruptor, with the virus continuing to spread for over half a year. The added stresses and challenges have certainly led to higher divorce rates in California, and across the U. S.

This inspired our blog post for today, where we decided to look at the major life events that are most commonly associated with divorce. As always, this isn’t a hard science and in our experience, divorce can be caused by various complex factors that build up over time. That said, there is often a catalyst or breaking point, which brings us to major life events.

Below are some of the major life events that involve the types of life disruptions that often lead to divorce.

Life Events Most Commonly Associated With Divorce

Infidelity: This is kind of a no-brainer but infidelity changes a relationship forever. Partners who decide to stray almost always lead their marriage to an inevitable crashing end. Most people simply can’t rebuild the trust they need, and for good reason.

Childbirth: Although many couples’ bonds strengthen when they have a child together, this is not the case for everyone. The reality of having to take care of a child can be sobering and harsh. Overall, marital satisfaction goes down sharply during the first few years of a child’s life, and this drop is not always temporary.

Illness: Despite the vows many make during their wedding day, the truth is that illness and long-term disability can cause many people to want out. Illness can change a person’s identity, the entire dynamics of the relationships, and the contributions that each person brings to the table. Many people do stick by their partner through thick and thin, but illness has been shown to increase the chance of divorce by around 6%.

Long distances: Studies done on military families has shown that there is a direct correlation between how long a person is deployed and increased changes of divorce. Even in civilian settings, long distance is a difficult hurdle that can threaten any marriage, especially when couples are separated for extended periods of time.

Traumatic events: Everyone reacts to trauma differently, whether it involves something like the death of a child, experiencing a break in or robbery, or being involved in a serious car accident. Some people can become withdrawn and desire distance as they work to process their pain or grief, while others might associate their spouse with the trauma. This can manifest in many ways, one of them which is one spouse asking for a divorce.

Do You Need to Consult With A Reputable Divorce Attorney in California?

We hope this post helped provide insight into how significant life events can change a marriage. Once divorce is on the table, a consultation with a family law attorney should always be next on your agenda.

At R & S Law Group, LLP, our team of trusted family law attorneys are here to help you navigate any upcoming divorce issues, custody disputes, proceedings involving asset division, and more. We offer free initial consultations, so you can check in with our attorneys risk-free. 

Call today at (949) 825-5245 to schedule a free initial consultation.