Why Are Marriages Failing in 2023?

Forbes Advisor recently commissioned a study of 1,000 Americans divorced or in the process of divorce to find out why their marriages ended. Researchers ended up with a plethora of information about the current state of marriage and divorce.

According to Forbes, there were 689,308 divorces in 2021, noting that “approximately half of all first marriages end in divorce with subsequent marriages failing at higher rates.” The most common reasons for divorce included:

• Lack of family support: 43%
• Adultery: 34%
• Incompatibility/irreconcilable differences: 31%
• Lack of intimacy: 31%
• Too much conflict: 31%
• Financial stress: 24%
• Lack of commitment: 23%
• Parenting differences: 20%
• Marrying too young: 10%

Interestingly, although 43% of couples reported “lack of family support” as their reason for divorcing, only 21% of survey respondents believed that disapproval of a spouse by friends or family is a risk for divorce.

What are the grounds for divorce in North Carolina?

Because North Carolina is a no-fault divorce state, either spouse can make a move to legally end the marriage and doesn’t have to prove the other spouse was wrong in any way. However, you must be separated for at least one year before you can file for divorce.

You can also apply for divorce based on incurable insanity. In these cases, one spouse must be diagnosed with incurable insanity and the couple must have lived separate and apart for three consecutive years.

Why do people get married?

Now that we know why people are getting divorced, let’s get into why they get married in the first place, according to the Forbes Advisor study:

• Financial security: 42%
• Companionship: 39%
• Love: 36%
• Commitment: 34%
• Starting a family: 34%
• Convenience: 28%
• Medical insurance: 25%
• Legal reasons: 16%
• Societal/familial pressures: 7%

What is the correlation between reasons to get married and divorcing?

Per Forbes:

When a person is motivated to marry by a specific desire that goes unfulfilled, this increases the chances the union will fail. As a result, it’s unsurprising there is correlation between the reasons to marry and the causes of divorce.

Most couples who married for companionship, financial security, convenience, medical insurance, legal reasons or a desire to start a family blamed a lack of compatibility for their divorce. It’s not surprising that those who marry because they want a companion are more likely to end a union if they don’t get along. It’s also unsurprising that people who are motivated by factors other than love—such as legal reasons, convenience, or a desire for security—may find they are not compatible with the partner they chose.

Is my marriage at risk?

It’s important to note the signs of divorce so you can notice when your marriage may be in trouble. The divorcees who participated in the survey also reported when they realized their marriage was at risk. These factors include:

• Lack of showing an interest in one another: 48%
• Poor conflict resolution: 47%
• Avoiding each other: 45%
• Lack of respect: 38%
• Increased criticism to or from my partner: 38%
• Poor communication: 33%
• Substance abuse: 31%
• Domestic violence: 27%
• Disapproval of spouse from family/friends: 21%
• Living different lifestyles: 17%
• Marrying too young: 12%
• Marrying too soon after meeting each other: 12%
• Financial stress: 10%

What can save your marriage?

Respondents also had a lot to say in retrospect:

In fact, 63% of people who divorced said having a better understanding of commitment prior to marrying could have stopped their union from collapsing. And 56% said they may not have divorced if they had a better understanding of their spouse’s morals and values. More than four in 10 respondents also indicated their marriages could have been saved by waiting longer to get married and by waiting longer to start a family.

On a brighter note, only five percent of respondents noted that they didn’t think their marriage could ever be saved.

If you are thinking of getting divorced

Divorce, just like marriage, is nothing to step into lightly. If you are considering divorce, ensure you protect your rights with an experienced Charlotte family law attorney. Every divorce is different, but they all have a few things in common. Considerations for your divorce should include issues like:

• Property division. Property division involves the equitable distribution of assets and debts acquired during the marriage, with the goal of achieving a fair outcome for both spouses.
• Spousal support. Spousal support, also known as alimony, is financial assistance provided by one spouse to the other during or after divorce to help maintain a reasonable standard of living, especially when there is a significant income disparity between the spouses.
• Child custody. Child custody in a divorce determines the legal and physical responsibility for a child’s upbringing, including decisions about where they live and the authority to make important decisions on their behalf, prioritizing the child’s best interests.
• Child support. Child support in a divorce is the financial obligation one parent has to provide for the financial needs of their child, typically determined by North Carolina guidelines and based on factors such as income and the child’s expenses.

The Charlotte divorce attorneys at Epperson Law Group, PLLC are here to answer all of your questions about marriage and divorce, including premarital and postmarital agreements.

To schedule an appointment with a skilled attorney today, call our office or submit our contact form. We serve clients from our offices in Charlotte, Weddington, Concord and Boone.