Researchers from the University of California at San Diego, Harvard and Brown recently collaborated on a study about divorce. Their analysis of their large data set suggests that divorce may be contagious.
The researchers determined that the potential for one individual’s marital stability to be impacted by someone else’s divorce depends on various factors, including degrees of separation within their network of friends. They also cited data that might suggest that a person’s marriage may be impacted by whether their colleagues at work and siblings are ending their marriages.
How do connections among friends impact divorce rates?
They determined that the divorce rate is 75% higher for married folks who have friends ending their marriages. The researchers also discovered that if a friend of your divorcing friend is divorcing, then the likelihood that you will also divorce increases by an additional 33%.
The researchers also discovered that spouses with children were less likely to divorce than ones that didn’t have them.
Has your friend’s divorce impacted motivated you to divorce?
Various factors may motivate a spouse to decide that their marriage is over. They may have grown apart and fallen out of love. Job demands may have given them too little time to spend together, thus making them feel distant or resentful of one another. There may have been infidelity, illness and countless other issues that just didn’t make it work.
The best time to learn more about your rights is when you’re beginning to consider your options for leaving your marriage. It can be really jarring to a spouse to learn about your impending divorce. It can motivate them to mess with the finances and do other things that will leave you in a disadvantageous situation as you initiate settlement negotiations in your divorce. So, protect yourself by exploring the options you have.