No one enters into marriage expecting to fail or without hope the love will last forever. Even with the best intentions, a marriage may not work out, which leaves two people with the task of dividing assets and planning a different future. For couples considering a divorce or who have already separated, it can be difficult to know when it’s time to transition from separated to divorced. For parties unsure if they’re ready to take the next step and file for divorce, here are 5 signs you could be ready.
- Communication Breakdown: It’s hard to be in a relationship with someone if communication is an issue. Worsening communication is a sign a marriage is in trouble. A lack of communication prevents a couple from being able to support one another and talk through the issues they face. A marriage that cannot withstand disagreements or feels adversarial could be headed for divorce.
- Absence of Intimacy: A marriage differs from a friendship because of intimacy and closeness. It’s common to have highs and lows in a marriage, but a couple should still share intimate moments. These experiences within a marriage help to develop tenderness and affection, deepening the shared commitment to the relationship. When intimacy is missing, it’s a sign the marriage is in trouble and divorce could be imminent.
- Lack of Trust: A relationship cannot exist without a measure of trust between a couple. Ideally, spouses should be one another’s confidante, but in a broken or struggling relationship, a lack of trust is a sign of underlying problems. Trust can be lost due to lying, cheating, or abusive behaviors within in the relationship. A lack of trust can breed contempt and resentment, which doesn’t bode well for any marriage.
- Contemptuous Relationship: Many of the signs a marriage is in trouble are solvable issues when a couple is committed to counseling and working on the relationship. Contempt is poisonous to any marriage because it severs the bonds of the relationship. A contemptuous relationship is characterized by hatred, condescension, and scorn. The bitterness and anger found in contemptuous relationships will likely worsen before becoming better. Couples in relationships like these are likely headed for divorce because everything associated with their partner is negative. There is little room to move on from these types of feelings.
- Infidelity: Having an affair alone is not a sole indicator of divorce. Some couples are able to move on post affair, but long-term cheating with one extramarital partner could be a sign divorce is imminent. Some couples opt for counseling after an affair, but for many, this infraction is considered a deal breaker and a sign that divorce is necessary.
- Negative Relationship Pattern: Some relationships are toxic and negative, and everything in the radius of the relationship is negatively impacted by the toxicity. Many toxic and negative relationships become emotionally or physically abusive. When this happens, the relationship is headed for divorce.
If you need a family law attorney to help navigate the complications of divorce, call us now at (888) 863-9115 for more information about how we can help!
