Is technology stealing your marriage?

You get home, it’s been a tough day at work and you want to unwind.  The kids may have been driving you crazy all day and you want to escape.  Reaching for the game controller or your phone to relax and zone out is all well and good but, like all things in life, there does need to be a degree of moderation. When it starts to interfere with your family and marital life it may be time to put the technology down.  Clients are now defining ‘unreasonable behaviour’, the most common ground for divorce in UK law, in increasingly modern ways including being on the internet, social media sites and gaming for hours on end. For the partners of people who are obsessed with video games, it feels as if they are being ignored or even abandoned in favour of the latest computer game obsession.

A few interesting facts…

• In 2018 the word ‘Fortnite’ was listed in 200 divorce applications.
• Family lawyers say that video games are involved in 15% of divorce cases.
• 54% of gamers are men and 46% are women.
• 57% of people aged between 25 and 34 complain of being snubbed in favour of their partner’s smartphone affecting their romantic lives.
• Indirectly arguments are also being caused by techology with the lastest "must have" smartphones often costing hundreds of pounds and being put ahead of family holidays.

There’s no doubt that the internet and all its attractions such as social media and gaming are a big part of our lives but the key is not to make it the biggest part and, the same as we all strive for work-life balance, we should try and balance our social media time and family time.

If the above information is striking a chord with you or would like any further advice regarding your personal situation, remember obtaining accurate legal information from the outset can be vital in the resolution of your matter and can make the process less stressful. Call 01246 555610 to arrange a free, no obligation consultation with one of our experienced solicitors.