You do not want your spouse’s request for a divorce to come as a surprise. You’re far better off if you can spot the red flags in advance and begin to prepare for the split before it becomes official. If nothing else, you can simply get your head around the idea of ending your marriage so that you’re ready to start looking into the legal steps you need to take and the rights that you have.
So, how do you know if that divorce is coming? What red flags do you want to look for? It can help to know why people tend to break off their marriages, so here are some of the most common reasons:
1. Expectations do not match reality
Unfulfilled expectations often make marriages feel hollow and empty. They don’t give people the satisfaction they want or that ideal life they have always imagined for themselves. One big issue here is when the person did not have accurate, reasonable expectations to start with. They thought that their spouse could give them more than they ever could. They wind up resenting their spouse, even though it’s not their fault.
2. Arguments happen too often
Don’t think that one argument means that your marriage is doomed and you have no way to stay together. It’s not that dire. However, frequent arguments are a red flag. They may mean that the two of you have deeper issues with one another, even if you never state them explicitly. If every little thing leads to a fight, what is the root cause? Can your marriage survive it?
3. You have financial troubles
When times get tough, you may wish that the two of you could work together to solve the problems, but the reality is that financial issues often just cause stress. You can’t solve them right away. They lower your quality of life. In many cases, one person decides that the only solution is to leave the marriage.
4. You got married too fast or too young
People change over time, especially in their early 20s. If you got married as a teen or while you were still in college, you may have been too young. The relationship felt stable then, but you hadn’t been together very long. You didn’t know each other well. You didn’t even know yourselves that well. As you grow up, you may also grow apart, and that leads couples to divorce.
What should you do?
If your spouse does ask you for a divorce, it is critical that you know what to do next. You must understand your rights in Colorado regarding property division, child custody and the like.