At the beginning of 2020, couples across the country, including here in New Jersey, thought their marriages were good. Then, the world changed practically overnight, and people found themselves spending more time with each other than they may have in months, if not years. Could spending so much time together be behind the recent surge in divorce filings?
Researchers believe that current events do have a significant impact on marriages and families in general. The stress and frustration of being couped up at home would have enough of a strain on individuals, but it also put stress on relationships that those involved in them thought were solid at one point. Added onto those issues are financial concerns, new working conditions, home schooling and other changes that happened quickly and without warning for many people.
The data indicates that all these stressors have increased the divorce rate by a staggering 34% in recent months when compared to the same months last year. Some couples did not last three weeks in isolation before they began considering divorce. It appears that couples married fewer than five years were most at risk. In other cases, problems already present in a marriage were exacerbated by the requirements to stay home during the last few months.
Will this trend continue? More than likely, the uptick in divorce filings is not yet over. As more courts across the country reopen, the numbers could go up even more. New Jersey individuals who want to end their marriages would benefit from discussing their situations with an attorney prior to moving forward in order to help ensure their rights and interests are protected.
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