The Reasons Couples Divorce?
October 11, 2009 by Michelle Smith
Filed under Relationships
Do you ever wonder why marriages fail? Do people fall out of love with each other? Do they fall in love with someone else? Do they grow apart? Where do the problems come from? 
An Australian study claims to have the answers, but the reasons they give read more like statistics than personal reasons.
Led by Rebecca Kippen and Bruce Chapmanfrom The Australian National University and Peng Yu from Australia’s Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the team tracked nearly 2,500 married and cohabiting couples from 2001 to 2007 and identified which factors are most likely to sever relationships.
What are the reasons?
1. The husband is older than his wife by at least 9 years.
2. The man married too young. Marrying before 25 is considered too young.
3. A marriage could be in trouble if there kids born before the marriage. It doesn’t matter if the children are from the current relationship or a previous one.
4. The wife wants kids and the husband does not.
5. Having parents who divorced or experienced martial separation.
6. Second or third marriages tend to break up.
7. If the husband is out of work the marriage is more likely to fail, but if the wife is out of work, it apparently does not affect the union.
8. If one of the partners smokes and the other does not.
I’m divorced and I could claim to be affected by 2, 5, 7, and 8, but in reality, I think we broke up because of his drug use. I’m suprised that substance abuse is not on this list. What do you think about the list? Do you think it’s accurate?
Image credit: Sxc.hu
Not sure about accurate or not but I’m surprised the amount of time in a marriage is not part of the equation. I’ve noticed most marriages split up within that first 5 years, normally the first 2 years of marriage as everyone is figuring out who they are and what they want in the relationship and it is a first time that they are really together as one. Another thought is I’ve noticed couples split once the children are in their teens or once they’ve all left home, not sure really why that is but something I have seen a lot of. Maybe it is living that second life again and wanting to be younger, maybe it is realizing you really aren’t the person you use to be. Interesting post.
That’s a good point – time. Thanks for commenting, Eliza.
I think this post should be based on a couple that has not plan for marriage. Many of these issues should not cause a divorce. If it drugs or some kind of abuse and they wont get help you want to get out. I don’t know if this list is good for everyone.
The list was compiled from anecdotal evidence. These were the top risk indicators that they found in that evidence.
Thanks for commenting, Dsheray.