Every marriage has its rough patches. While a lot of married couples can work through their challenges to salvage their marriages, others are left uncertain of how much longer they can hold on to their relationship. Sure, divorce is an option, but how do you know if that’s your best course of action?
That’s a question that only you can answer. However, there are certain circumstances that will may be a tell-tale sign that your marriage is over.
Signs that it might be time to seek a divorce
No two marriages are the same. Therefore, the factors that are significant enough to warrant a divorce are going to be different for everyone. That said, here are some of the biggest signs that your marriage might be over:
- Domestic violence: You need to be safe in your marriage. If you’re being subjected to physical, emotional, psychological, or verbal abuse, then now is probably the time to find a way out. But if you’re being exposed to domestic violence, then you need to protect yourself as you find a safe and efficient way out of your marriage.
- Infidelity: This is a major cause of divorce, as it can rip you and your spouse’s trust for each other to shreds. Some can work through this issue and keep their marriage intact, but it’s going to take a lot of effort.
- Disconnectedness: Sometimes couples simply grow apart. They have interests that don’t align, and their priorities no longer match. This can lead to feelings of isolation, and you might find that you’re hopeless about the future of your marriage.
- Lack of effort: It takes a lot of work to build and maintain a happy marriage. But if your spouse isn’t willing to put in the work, then that may be a sign that they’re not invested in your marriage, regardless of the circumstances.
- Disrespect: You and your spouse have to respect each other if you hope for your marriage to work. If there isn’t mutual respect, then your relationship can quickly turn toxic, which is bad for your mental health and can lead to otherwise avoidable stress. You don’t deserve that.
- Unrealistic expectations: As life goes on, the dynamics of your marriage might change. While spouses expect each other to adapt to a certain extent, sometimes the expectations that are laid out are simply unrealistic. When these sorts of expectations are implemented, then disappointment, resentment, and regret can set in, which can be devastating to a marriage.
- Lack of support: Spouses lean on each other for emotional support. But when neither spouse dedicates themselves to hearing their spouse and understanding what’s going on in their life, there can be a lack of emotional and psychological intimacy that creates a significant divide. So, if you and your spouse can’t talk to each other, understand each other, and support each other, then your marriage might be on a cliff’s edge if it hasn’t already fallen over.
Protect your interest if and when the time comes
If you decide that the time has come to end your marriage, then you need to be prepared to protect your interests throughout the process. This means knowing how to cope with the emotional ramifications of your marriage dissolution, but it also means having a grasp on the legal issues that you’re about to confront.
That might all sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead, you can continue to read up on those issues that are relevant to you so that you can confidently move forward with your divorce, making the decisions that protect you and your future. Hopefully then you can successfully move into the next chapter of your life.