Feelings of hopelessness predict divorces

Californians who feel hopeless about their relationships are much likelier to divorce than people who feel like their marriages are worth working on. When one spouse feels indifferent about their relationships, they might be unwilling to invest time and energy in order to save them.

According to a study that was conducted in 1992 by researchers at the University of Washington, the strongest predictors that couples would divorce were feelings of disillusionment and disappointment. In the study, people who felt hopeless about their marriages at the beginning of the research period were much likelier to be divorced three years later.

The researchers reported that some of the people who reported feeling disappointed or disillusioned admitted that they had unrealistic beliefs of what their marriages would be like before they got married. Marriage and family therapists state that when one spouse feels hopeless about their marriage, they cease caring about what happens to their relationship or the feelings of their spouse. When that happens, it doesn’t matter how much effort the other spouse is willing to put into saving the relationship.

People get divorced for many different reasons. When people believe that the end of their marriages is near, they might want to consult with experienced family law attorneys. The lawyers may help people consider the pros and cons of getting divorced to help them decide whether they want to proceed with the divorces or instead try to work things out with their spouses. If an individual wishes to get divorced, a lawyer may draft the petitions for their client, file them with the proper courts and complete the proper service of process. They may then work to negotiate settlements with their client’s spouse that protect the interests of their client. If they cannot reach a settlement agreement, the attorney may litigate for their client through the court process.