People commonly assume that younger or newer marriages are more likely to end in divorce than older or more established marriages. However, as we at the White Oak Law have seen, long-term marriages are not necessarily immune to divorce. 

For today’s post, we thought we’d take a look at some of the main reasons that long-term marriages can suddenly end in divorce. While there’s a lot of crossover with divorce in general, there are a few specific causes that people in longer marriages are more likely to experience.

Cheating and Infidelity

Cheating is one of the biggest marriage killers and for good reason. This type of violation of trust is very difficult to repair and come back from, even in older marriages that have a strong foundation. Even if a couple is able to work through an incident or two, the resentment will always be under the surface and the potential for continued misconduct often spirals the marriage into an eventual divorce.

Money Issues or Financial Disputes

Another issue that impacts marriages of all durations, money issues are unsurprisingly an equal or perhaps even more significant strain for couple who have been together for a very long time. This can involve assets or debts that have been accumulated over the years, as well as continued money problems that haven’t been resolved or improved over the years. Most people have a breaking point especially when it comes to their financial health.

Poor Communication

Over the years, couples change and the way they interact with one another can also change dramatically. While there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this, issues can develop over time if communication becomes increasingly poor. As couples drift apart and communication breaks down, the potential for divorce only increases.

Family Home Becomes an Empty Nest

This is one cause of divorce that many people don’t expect or see coming. Once the kids have left home, an empty nest can exacerbate problems or create a sense of incompleteness or unhappiness in one another. In addition, now that there are less members of the household, this often forces couples to re-adapt to one another especially when they are the only ones sharing a roof with one another.

Talk to a Family Law Attorney Today

These are just some of the top reasons that can cause long-term marriages to end. Each marriage is different however, and the reasons behind a specific relationship ending can vary significantly based on various factors.

At the White Oak Law, we understand this completely. This is why we dedicate time to speak to each and every client at length about their specific family law needs in CA. In our consultations we take the time to understand the facts at hand in order to serve you as effectively as possible.