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The 10 Most Common Reasons Couples Get Divorced

A survey of 5,000 divorce clients who filed for divorce using the UK's largest divorce filing service, Divorce-Online, reveals the top 10 reasons for divorce in the UK.

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    No-Fault Divorce Is Now Divorce Law – The divorce law in England and Wales has changed to give way to a no-fault divorce. This means you no longer need to wait for a period of 2 years of separation or blame one party for the breakdown of your marriage.

    Speak to our friendly team on Live Chat for quick and reliable answers to your questions or call us on 01793 384 029 for no obligation information and advice on how no-fault divorce works.

    In order to get a divorce, you must show the court that your marriage has irretrievably broken down (the reasons for divorce) by making a statement of irretrievable breakdown.

    But what are the most common reasons couples end up applying for a divorce in the UK?

    Top Reasons Couples Get Divorced

    Here’s a breakdown of the 10 most common reasons for a divorce in England and Wales;

    • Couples stopped loving each other
    • A spouse being bad with money
    • The other party having personal problems
    • Lack of love and affection
    • Lack of sexual intercourse
    • Lack of communication
    • Addictions
    • Abuse
    • Money issues
    • Cheating / Adultery

    1. Couples just stopped loving each other

    Couples simply falling out of love with each other is by far the biggest reasons for people getting a divorce in the UK.

    As no one is at fault for this, these divorces fall under the 2 year or more separation by consent ground, which is the most commonly used ground for divorce on our online divorce platform.

    2. The other party being bad with money

    The second biggest reason for divorce is that the other person is rubbish with money and or general finances.

    This is a fault-based divorce and the type of divorce was an unreasonable behaviour divorce.

    As we are an uncontested divorce service, most cases went through with the consent of the other party.

    The Petitioner would need to give at least 5 examples of the kind of behaviour that they were complaining of, in order for the court to approve this type of divorce.

    Examples of financial ineptitude were, racking up credit card bills, gambling, hiding money, buying expensive items that they could not afford and many many more.

    3. The other party having personal problems

    The third biggest reason for divorce is a more general category that included such things as mental health issues, trust issues, problems with family and once again this is a fault-based divorce scenario and would come in under the unreasonable behaviour category.

    4. Lack of love and affection

    Number four in the list has a common theme with many petitioners complaining that their STBX was not giving them enough attention.

    Many complained that their soon-to-be ex would prefer to hang out with their mates, go drinking a lot and carry on as though the marriage thing had not really happened.

    5. Lack of sex

    Number 5 speaks for itself and unsurprisingly the male members of our survey brought this up on numerous occasions, propelling the lack of sex to number 5.

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    6. Lack of communication

    Communication is essential to sustaining any good relationship. If communication ceases or becomes disjointed then it can cause many problems within a marriage.

    Having open and honest communication allows you to discuss any issues you have personally or about the marriage.

    It also enables you to talk over any disagrees. These could be because of children’s issues, money issues or any other common areas of disagreement such as help around the house.

    When communication breaks down it often leads to problems that can spiral quickly.

    In some cases, you can regain communication and enjoy a happy relationship, but most the time once it breaks down it doesn’t return to a level that sustains a relationship.

    7. Addictions

    Sadly, addictions causing the breakdown of marriages have become more common.

    Our research has shown that 1 in 4 behaviour based divorce petitions mentioned alcohol, which is a worrying statistic.

    There are many types of addictions such as;

    • Alcohol
    • Drugs
    • Gaming
    • Gambling

    These, of course, are not the only types of addiction, but they are the most common ones mentioned in divorce petitions we handle.

    Addictions of any kind can cause pressures and tensions within a relationship so it’s not a surprise to us to see addictions as one of the most common reasons for couples getting divorced.

    8. Abuse

    Abuse comes in many forms, it’s not just the physical abuse that people sustain when married.

    Other types of abuse include emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and financial abuse etc.

    Domestic abuse and emotional abuse are the most common types of abuse we see on divorce petitions from our clients.

    It goes without saying that when any type of abuse occurs within a marriage, it’s a valid reason to want to divorce.

    Many people endure abuse for too long in the hope that the other person will change or out of fear.

    9. Money Issues

    Money can be a sticking point for many married couples.

    Is one person financially reckless? Is one person paying for the majority of things? Does one person have debts and continues to overspend?

    Money issues often boil over and cause disagreements and resentment, which both cause marriages to breakdown.

    10. Cheating / Adultery

    Adultery has been happening for hundreds of years so it’s nothing new, it just appears to be more common in modern life with the news, papers, and social media playing a bigger role in our daily lives than ever before.

    The act of adultery continues to be one of the most common reasons for divorce.

    In fact, adultery normally counts for 15%-20% of all divorce applications filed in England and Wales.

    The act of adultery can be enough to get divorced, but you must act within 6-months of finding out about the adultery taking place.

    Find Out Which Service Is Ideal For You

    There’s no need to spend thousands on getting a divorce, especially if the reasons for divorce are agreed upon. Use our simple and free online tool to find the most suitable service for your circumstances.

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