An unprecedented pandemic created speculation as to how US residents would react to it. The many conveniences and luxuries would have to be set aside for the “greater good.” Instead of going to a restaurant or flying across the country, people – specifically married couples – would see few reasons to leave the house with some under “shelter-in-place” orders.
Divorce rates were a popular topic at the outset of COVID-19’s entry into the United States. Experts believed that marital dissolutions would increase. At first, the opposite occurred, with many couples taking a more practical approach, staying together due to the uncertainties they were facing.
Divorce filings increased
The introduction of vaccines brought waves of relief. Freedom was right around the corner, with state after state putting back up their “open for business” signs. Those who pressed the divorce “pause button” were ready to explore a different type of independence.
Several surveys saw nearly 60 percent of couples filing for divorce during the pandemic. Most were younger couples married within the past five years. COVID-19 was likely the first crisis they faced in their marriage, resulting in its end.
Ongoing cabin fever put the most solid and longtime unions to the test. Add to that job layoffs and furloughs resulting in severe financial problems, a well-known reason that couples call it quits. Being shut-ins only increases the stress, which can amplify to the level of fights and physical abuse.
Conversely, marriages on already shaky grounds crumbled under the weight of the pandemic. Divorce was inevitable. A pandemic just gave it an extra push.
Marriages end for a variety of reasons. Divorce was an option before the pandemic and will remain a possibility following the COVID-19 era. Regardless of the reason, ending a marriage requires seasoned and skilled legal representation from an experienced family law attorney.
