Most Common Causes of Divorce

According to the most recent figures from the National Office of Statistics, divorce rates have dropped to the lowest they have been for 40 years, however, Britain still has the highest divorce rate compared to other European countries.

Co-op Legal Services have recently conducted a survey with divorced individuals to investigate the biggest causes of divorce in the United Kingdom. The results showed the following to be the most commonly expressed reasons for why proceedings were instigated:

1. An inappropriate relationship with a third party
2. The parties growing apart
3. The parties falling out of love
4. One party no longer being attracted to the other
5. Only one party wanting children
6. Work commitments straining the relationship
7. Abuse of alcohol or drugs
8. One party wanting to relocate
9. The parties discovering that they have nothing in common
10. Illness

The survey showed that 44% of women had initiated divorce proceedings due to their partner having an inappropriate relationship with someone else causing the marriage to break down. 42% of men, however, could not definitively explain the cause of their divorce and just felt that they had grown apart from their spouse.

The survey also covered the aspects of the process that the individuals found most stressful. The results showed that 20% thought the length of the process was the most difficult, 17% thought the confrontational nature of proceedings was the hardest and 16% found family members’ reactions to be most challenging.

Arming yourself with accurate legal information from the outset can be vital in the resolution of your matter and can make the process less stressful. If you are considering divorce or your spouse has started divorce proceedings, call 01246 555 610 to arrange a free, no obligation consultation with one of our experienced solicitors.