A divorce is a complicated, overwhelming experience, and for those who are caught by surprise, it’s easy to panic and rush to find solutions without weighing the options. However, most divorces offer plenty of warning: You just need to know what signs to look for.
Every couple is different, but if you and your spouse can’t go a day without fighting, it could be a sign that your marriage is headed for trouble. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you might completely ignore or avoid contact with each other, and this is just as bad as constant fighting. If you and your spouse are lacking intimacy (more than usual) or considering affairs with other people, all is not well in your marriage.
While there are many signs of divorce, not everyone notices them in time. And if it’s too late to consider counseling or other alternatives to avoid a divorce, it’s time to plan for the worst.
You Are No Longer Communicating.
A key ingredient in every relationship is communication. It is important that spouses talk to each other and understand how the other is feeling on a regular basis. You may think that avoiding certain conversations prevents arguments, when in fact, it just drives emotional distance. Having disagreements and verbalizing them is actually preferable compared to no longer communicating with your spouse. If separation happens and child support is fought for, parents may be unable to reach an agreement because they are used to avoiding and not cooperating with each other.
You Have Pent-Up Contempt or Resentment.
Having respect for your spouse is the foundation of your marriage. Lack of empathy, callousness, or ridicule can cause anger and resentment to fester. When one spouse is feeling contempt, unless it is just in the heat of an argument, it can be difficult to have fond emotions towards the other. As a child support lawyer Kansas City, KS parents trust from the Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A. has seen before, that not respecting a spouse can cause child support cases to be even more stressful, as a lack of decency means they are probably not willing to collaborate.
You Have Not Been Physically Affectionate.
Intimacy is an essential aspect of any marriage, and can easily be taken for granted and lost entirely. Less affection can happen due to raising children, being busy at work, going through a stressful event, and other life responsibilities. While temporary periods of no intimacy between partners may not be a sign of divorce per se, if these durations last for months and then years on, the marriage may have reached the end of its cycle. Stale affection between spouses can brew bitterness, meaning they will be less likely to show compassion during a child support case.
There Are Instances of Financial Infidelity.
Financial infidelity occurs when one spouse is living a lifestyle that doesn’t represent earnings or their share of the bank funds. A Kansas City child support lawyer can attest, one spouse may start racking up credit card bills on luxurious items that don’t support the family and home. Buying a new vehicle spontaneously, taking out a loan without transparency, or otherwise being financially frivolous may contribute to a divorce happening. A spouse who isn’t showing consideration for the shared money while married is probably not going to be fair when fighting for or against a child support request amidst divorce.
You Are Not Happy for Each Other’s Success.
In a marriage, both spouses must be proud of and support the other’s success. There may be times when child-raising and work career goals cause friction and require compromise, but otherwise, a healthy marriage entails joy for their spouse’s big life moments. Sometimes parents get into a routine of caring for children and may feel tired and not as enthusiastic as they normally would be about hearing good news. But this is a minor issue and can be easily worked through with communication. As clients have expressed to our Kansas City lawyer child support team, a spouse that continues to not show encouragement when the other shines is not likely to keep the marriage intact for the long term.