You may be one of many Michigan spouses who have been trying to keep a marriage intact for months, or, perhaps, even longer. On the other hand, you might relate to spouses who have encountered a serious problem in their marriage because of an individual event or issue that arose suddenly and unexpectedly and has caused their spousal relationship to deteriorate. While no two marriages are exactly the same, current data shows that there are three issues that may occur in a marriage that most frequently cause a divorce.
Infidelity is a top cause of divorce
When you and your spouse entered into marriage, you no doubt expected faithfulness to one another to be part of your commitment. Analysts say that breaking this vow is one of the top three issues that often compels people to file for divorce. Infidelity is not isolated to a particular age group, gender or status. While some couples are able to work through the problems that infidelity brings to a marriage, others determine that it is too heavy a burden for their relationship to withstand.
Divorce is often prompted by money issues
More than 20% of spouses who file for divorce cite money issues as a primary reason. If a couple lacks communication skills, financial disagreements may be difficult to resolve because such issues are often highly emotionally charged. If one spouse accuses the other of mismanaging household finances, the person accused may become defensive or confrontational.
In some cases, financial dishonesty may be a significant factor. In others, a pair of spouses might simply determine that they have different perspectives about money, and it’s better to go their separate ways rather than arguing over financial issues continually.
A majority of couples say they are incompatible
At least 43% of spouses say that they decided to file for divorce after coming to the conclusion that they and their partners are not compatible. If this is similar to your experience, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was always that way. Depending on how long you and your partner were married, life changes you have experienced and many other issues, you may have started out thinking you were quite compatible early on in your relationship but drifted apart over time.
Each divorce is unique, as is each settlement
Chances are, you may have decided to file for a divorce in a Michigan court for one of the three reasons mentioned in this post. Additional issues may have also influenced your decision. Regardless what might have been the exact cause of the breakdown in your relationship, you are entitled to a fair settlement.
If you have children, then child custody issues may be a central focus of divorce proceedings. You might also have issues to resolve regarding property division or alimony. In order to make informed decisions and be as prepared as possible, it is a good idea to learn more about Michigan divorce laws and child custody guidelines before heading to court, which you can do by discussing your case with someone who is well-versed in this area of law.