We all know that 2021 was a tumultuous year and that is something we saw reflected in the number of enquiries we had about divorce over this past year. This blog post discusses some of the divorce trends we saw emerging.
Generally speaking, the top reasons people get divorced include:
- Financial conflict
- Loss of passion in a relationship
- Communication differences
- Unreasonable behaviour
- Infidelity
- Midlife crisis
Trends our family law firm observed in relation to divorce in 2021
-
Pandemic pressures
While no one specifically cited Coronavirus as the reason for their divorce, it definitely has been a factor. The pandemic has put a lot of extra pressure on relationships, especially if they become financially insecure.
Lockdown also made some people reevaluate their situations as the increased time together escalated pre-existing relationship challenges. Having to spend more time in their family home brought some issues that have been simmering under the surface to a boiling point to where it was decided that a change was needed to alleviate the growing pressure.
-
Keeping it civil
This year we saw a lot of cases where the couples were adamant they wanted to keep things civil in future, and have an amicable divorce. Most were able to do so with the help of mediation. In our experience a civil, amicable divorce is possible if both parties are focused on that goal - and is something we recommend in the best interests of the children.
-
Grey divorce
Interestingly in 2021, we saw a rise in “grey divorces” - couples who are in their 50s or older getting divorced. These couples have typically been together for a long time and have reached a point in their relationship where they decide (mutually, or otherwise) to separate.
While not so much an issue in Canada, our American counterparts have mentioned seeing a rise in “medical divorces” - where couples get divorced to help mitigate some of the increasing costs of medical care.
-
Moving on
A common question we were asked in the process of finalising the divorce was about dating. Perhaps the pressure of the pandemic has changed people’s outlook because we noticed a lot of clients wanting to get back into the dating game while separated. This can be a positive step for divorcing couples but of course there could be ramifications - we’ve discussed this in more detail in our blog post “What your divorce lawyer wants you to know about dating while separated.”
-
Interesting divorce statistics
You might be interested to know some general stats that we’ve come across in our research and that we’ve anecdotally noticed (but haven’t measured scientifically).
Some of the interesting research we’ve come across is that you are more likely to get divorced if:
- One or both of you are smokers
- One person does all the household chores
- You met in a bar, club or lounge
- You married at a very young age
You are less likely to get divorced if:
- It’s your first marriage
- Your parents are still married
- You are over the age of 25
- You went to college
Whatever your situation, it’s important that your and your children’s legal future is protected. If you have a family law concern that you want to discuss, please contact us to set up a time to discuss questions about your family law matters.