What are legitimate reasons for getting a divorce? You can get a divorce in Michigan without having a valid reason. Attorneys won’t provide you with a justification for getting or not getting a divorce. The color of your wife’s dress might not be to your taste. That might be the issue. However, Michigan does not need a good reason to grant you a divorce.
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No-fault divorce is legal in Michigan. You are allowed to have them. The obvious ones include drug misuse, domestic abuse, or violence against the spouse. Or there may be less dramatic factors like a declining interest in marriage. You no longer need a basis for a divorce in Michigan because of the way the rules have changed.
Why do people file for divorce?
Sociological studies show that women petition for divorce twice as frequently as males. Compared to 31% of men, about 69% of women in the US file for divorce. Women’s high and later disappointed expectations of emotional support from men are the cause of this imbalance.
In 2022, there will be 16.9 divorces for every 1,000 married women in the United States. Experts contend this represents the divorce rate more accurately than the crude number.
The U.S. Census Bureau in 2018 found that 7.7 out of 1,000 married women over 15 filed for divorce. Several forecast shows that this number would rise in 2022.
Divorce rates are rising while marriage rates have been progressively dropping. Analysts estimate that 40% to 50% of current marriages will eventually end in divorce.
Lack of commitment
Lack of commitment consistently came out on top in studies. Participants selected from a list of significant causes for their divorce. In one study, up to 85% of participants responded in this way. A second study found that lack of commitment was the issue that couples were most likely to agree on. This is though most of the time one partner blames the other. Spouses tend to blame each other for not trying harder to salvage the marriage.
Lack of commitment may seem elusive and challenging to prove or argue against. This is so, especially for the one who is being held accountable. The visible symptoms of divorce are frequently associated with other factors. These factors include extramarital relationships and a refusal to discuss the marriage. Another is a lack of collaboration when it comes to managing funds. They believe it to be the underlying source of a variety of more obvious problems. This may be why so many people claim a lack of commitment is a significant factor in divorce.
Incompatibility and growing apart
Politicians made the right decision about no-fault divorce. They selected the “irreconcilable differences” threshold for no-fault divorce. Research supports this by up to 55% of respondents in one research. Divorced persons say their marriage ended because “we grew apart” or “we drifted apart.” Or, they state “we were just plain incompatible.” Lack of shared views or we married young was also cited. This increases the likelihood of growing apart. Others state sexual difficulties and religious differences as factors. These have been connected to incompatibility as causes of divorce. All have been mentioned in studies.
Many couples accept and even live with their differences. Compatible interests, goals, and values are cornerstones of the majority of successful relationships. Overt indications of incompatibility frequently coexist. It goes with other typical causes of divorce, including poor communication.
Infidelity or unfaithfulness
Adultery or infidelity was cited in every study reviewed. The percentage of divorces where it was the cause varied from 20% to 60%.
This large range may say having an affair is the final straw following a series of prior marital issues. These issues may cause one partner to leave the marriage in search of closeness. They leave seeking excitement or distraction. It may even be an unintentional ploy to convince the other spouse to divorce.
Money management disagreements
Around 40% of respondents in surveys say financial concerns played a role in their divorce. Respondents cite complaints about the management of their finances by their ex-spouse. Conflicts over money are usually referred to as “financial incompatibility.” These disagreements over goals and values about financial decisions are their primary cause.
Couples of lower earnings are likely to cite financial incompatibility as a reason for divorce. These couples have less money to go around and greater worry about being able to cover costs. There is typically more friction about financial issues. It doesn’t matter how much money the couple makes together. fighting over money and assets continues throughout the divorce process.
Communication problems
In several research, about 50% of individuals blamed their divorce on communication problems. It manifests as frequent arguments and poor communication. Poor communication may be the root of various issues relating to divorce. It translates into disagreements over child custody and financial obligations.
Be wary of conflicts that often arise over the same issue or fights. They never truly find a resolution, even if they aren’t that frequent or violent. Take it as a sign that you need help in learning to communicate more effectively. Perhaps you need couple’s therapy.
Substance abuse
Between 10% and 35% of people surveyed indicated drug or alcohol abuse as the reason behind their divorce.
Addiction to alcohol and other substances is a serious issue. There is a recognized correlation between addiction and domestic violence. You don’t need to cite drug abuse as a cause for divorce but it does drive you to decide to file for one.
Domestic abuse
15% to 25% of people claimed that domestic violence was the main factor in ending a marriage. For older divorced couples, more than one-third cited it as the cause. They cited verbal, emotional, or physical abuse as one of the three main causes of their split.
Women and men have diverse perspectives on domestic violence as a factor in divorce. In a national study, only 9% of men and 42% of women named domestic violence as a major factor in their divorce. Intimate partner abuse is significantly more common in women than in men. Abused victims are more likely than abusers to blame their behavior on the divorce.
Conflicts in managing family responsibilities
Over 20% of participants in some research cited family responsibilities driving divorce. Participants who were asked indicated conflicts inside their marriage over:
[ a ] Taking care of their kids
[ b ] Child-care responsibilities, and/or
[ c ] Other home and family responsibilities.
Women are much more likely than men to attribute the above as a primary cause of their divorce. In earlier research family commitments were rarely discussed. This may be a result of many social scientists overlooking or assuming gender roles in marriages.
What if your spouse does not agree to a divorce?
In Michigan, your spouse cannot legally prevent you from filing for divorce. Michigan offers no-fault divorce. You do not need to get your spouse’s approval or provide evidence of marital misconduct. You are not required to stay in the marriage, even how much your partner wants to.
You’re in a no-fault divorce state. The judge does not need the testimony of witnesses to declare the marriage dissolved. In Michigan, your divorce petition only has to claim irreconcilable differences. Emphasize that there is no chance it can be repaired. Before the judge grants the divorce, you must attest to that reality. Of course, it won’t prevent your spouse from derailing your attempts to get the divorce filed. Or make it difficult for you throughout the process.
Your spouse can do anything to make the judge reject your petition. Your spouse can do weird or creative things to make it appear your claims in the divorce petition are untrue, like:
Take you out to dinner on a special occasion, such as your birthday or a holiday, and attempt seduction. Having sexual relations after the divorce was filed can affect your divorce efforts. It can make many judges throw out the divorce petition.
Hold out on leaving the house. This can convince the judge that you two were still in love after the divorce was filed.
Are legitimate reasons for divorce still relevant in a no-fault divorce state?
Whether it is legitimate or plain crazy, your reasons will not be the main factor for a court to approve your divorce. It will however have an impact on how things will be deliberated in spousal support, child support, and child custody.
You don’t need to prove for example domestic violence to get a divorce. It can be a real reason to get out of the marriage but the court will not require it as the basis. Domestic abuse is quite serious. It may have an impact on numerous divorce-related matters, including child custody, parenting time, and property division.
You and the other parent can jointly make parenting decisions. In the presence of domestic violence, the arrangements can be changed by the judge. Making decisions and communicating with your partner may be challenging. More so if one parent has been abusive. One argument for asking for sole custody maybe this.
The same thing can happen to alimony and property division. The court may grant consideration to one party. It may give a greater proportion of properties to the party injured in a domestic violence situation. This is to compensate for the pain or the expenses brought about by the injuries.
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Goldman & Associates Law Firm is here to with information about Child Custody and Divorce in the State of Michigan.