Do these 3 odd things really increase your likelihood to divorce?

Most of us know that money or employment can influence whether couples get divorced. We’ve also all heard the popular theory that children of divorce oftentimes get divorced.

These factors, however, may be a bit more surprising. Here are three things studies claim to have linked to a higher likelihood of divorce.

Having divorced friends

Is this true? Can you really catch divorce like the common cold? Some studies say yes. In fact, researchers from Brown and Harvard Universities have attributed a higher likelihood of divorce by up to 75 percent if you’ve got a close friend that got divorced.

Experts have guessed that the event may trigger surrounding close friends to reevaluate their own marriages and compare their emotions with their friend’s.

Presence of co-workers of the opposite sex

Both cheating and controlling jealousy are one-way tickets to a failed marriage. But, is the presence of members from the opposite sex a trigger for divorce regardless? A Danish study by researchers from Stockholm University seems to think so. Their report claims that when the adult sex ratio of an office includes more member of the opposite sex for one spouse, the couple has a higher chance of divorcing.

However, looking a bit closer, the report specifically shows men tend to divorce more often when they are surrounded by women at work. Women, on the other hand, have a weak association or no association at all when they are surrounded by men at work.

Shacking up before marriage

Long ago, the majority of couples did not live together or have sex until after marriage. While this practice is not totally abandoned, it’s no longer the social norm. Yet, many studies have claimed that living together before marriage increases the likelihood of divorce. With almost half of marriages ending in divorce anyway, is this research true?

One recent study Journal of Marriage and Family claimed that those who lived together before marriage ended up with a higher divorce rate after 5 years, but were likely not to divorce within the first year. Another study found that American couples who choose to live together, but either wait until later in life to make the move or go through with marriage are having more successful marriages.

Will I get divorced?

No one is necessarily doomed to divorce by circumstantial factors. The health of your relationship usually comes down to the amount of effort and respect each spouse is willing to contribute — consistently, for years and years.

If you’re considering divorce, you’re in for a long, hard road. To get a handle on the documents you’d need to gather and the steps you’d have to take, talk to a lawyer. A family law attorney can help guide you through this big life change.

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