What are the most common causes of divorce?

When you married your spouse, you expected that you’d stay together permanently. You didn’t feel like you had high expectations, and both of you were on the same page with starting a family and building a life together.

Now, at a time when you’ve left your career to take care of your children, you’re frustrated by changes in your husband’s behavior. He seems overly concerned about financial issues, asks you when you’ll go back to work instead of being a stay-at-home parent and generally disrespects you. You’re mad because he’s taking overtime when the money isn’t needed, so he’s never at home with the kids.

These are common marital problems, and they could lead to divorce. Here are some other common causes of divorce to watch out for.

1. Problems with alcohol

Substance abuse is a common cause of marital strife and divorce. People who become addicted to drugs or alcohol may start to have relationship issues at home and become problematic at work. Those issues could lead to serious financial strain and consequences.

1. Cheating/infidelity

Cheating or infidelity are also common causes of marriages ending. When one partner decides to cheat, they’re often committing an unforgivable act. While going through marriage counseling could help, many people do end up divorcing instead.

1. Financial issues

Marriages often fail because of money issues. If one person isn’t contributing financially, they may feel frustrated or hurt when they’re accused of not providing enough to the family. When one person does all the work that brings in an income, they may feel like the other person is taking advantage of them.

If there isn’t enough money to go around, this just makes the issue more serious.

What should you do if you start noticing red flags?

When you first start noticing problems, it’s time to take action. Talk to your spouse about getting help for substance abuse, consider marriage counseling or discuss financial options to get back on track. If you can’t find a resolution, then a divorce could be the right choice for you as your marriage continues to be a source of stress in your life.