Have you found yourself thinking about divorce? A recent nationwide survey conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) discovered that Americans think about getting a divorce fairly often, with 25% of those adults surveyed admitting to having thoughts of divorce cross their minds at least a few times in the six months prior to the survey. Researchers for the project believe that thinking about getting a divorce is not only common, but can result in bringing about positive change in a marriage that may be experiencing tough times as it signals a “wake up call” that it’s time for a couple to work on addressing problem issues.
Thinking About Divorce: Key Take-Aways
- More than 50% of individuals who have been married admitted to having thoughts about divorce, either recently or in the past.
- Most of those surveyed who admitted to being at a stage where they were “seriously” considering divorce” also expressed a desire to stay together and resolve problems.
- Only 1% of surveyed adults who had thought about divorce admitted to not being happy with their marriage or relationship.
- An overwhelming majority of those surveyed decided to stay together and be happy despite their thoughts of divorce.
- Most couples who stayed together despite thoughts of divorce and relationship difficulties found their marriage stronger and better positioned to survive and thrive.
The study, which was sponsored by BYU’s Family Studies Center, surveyed 3,000 individuals in the United States, ages 25-50, who had been married for at least one year. While the findings did show that 25 percent of all spouses had thought about divorce in the past six months, the behavior wasn’t significantly more prominent in any one subgroup or demographic such as women or men, parents with minor children, or the prevalence of religious beliefs in daily life.
Those individuals who had expressed having thoughts of divorce were asked to identify the key marital issues they were experiencing. The respondents were presented with a list that included a range of concerns ranging from severe to minor such as infidelity, alcohol/drug/physical/emotional abuse, mental health concerns, arguing, sexual dissatisfaction, money/personal habits, time spent working, division of labor, degree of communication, losing romantic feelings, and level of relationship commitment. The majority of those individuals who reported less intense problems in their marriage also reported having thought about divorce only a few times.
Survey participants who indicated they had experienced marital concerns in the past were asked about what strategies had helped their marriage improve. A large number of participants reported changing their attitude to focus on the positive qualities of their marriage as well as working together to fix problems.
While it is true that an estimated 50% of all marriages in America end in divorce, BYU’s study shows that even if divorce is thought about, it doesn’t mean a marriage is over; if anything, it’s a signal to the couple that growing concerns in the relationship need to be addressed if the marriage is to stay strong and satisfied.
More information is provided in the full report.
Thinking About Divorce: We Can Help
If you and your spouse reside in Northern Colorado, including Larimer County or the Fort Collins region, and want to explore a variety of divorce options, do not hesitate to contact Laura Monty Law. We provide collaborative divorce representation, divorce mediation services, legal advising for uncontested divorces and contested divorces, and a full array of divorce and family law services to meet your family’s needs. We strongly believe in taking a compassionate approach to family law, and recognize that every situation is unique.
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