A recent unscientific survey found that everyone seems to have different opinions on why nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. While many couples last a lifetime, some find they aren’t built for the long run. In order to discover if any factors were consistent across failed marriages, individuals were asked their opinions on why couples opted for divorce.

The results were surprising in that there was little consensus among the responses. Several major themes emerged, and some of the respondents gave completely unique answers to the question. For example, one respondent devised a formula that for every negative interaction, there should be five positive conversations. However, not everyone agrees with that formula. Several respondents stated that partners simply “grew apart” as they changed with age.

While there was no consensus among the answers given to the survey, themes such as growing distant, lack of support and respect, and behaviors such as lying or adultery did appear in several responses. It seems clear that while no one really knows what causes divorce, there are certain behaviors that seem more likely to end marriages over time.

When couples have reached the end of their ability to compromise and live together, divorce may be the best option. However, couples who are considering divorce should also think about the legal and financial implications of this decision. A family law attorney can explain each partner’s options and the cost of ending a marriage both in financial terms and in terms of child custody and visitation, if applicable.

Source: Huffington Post, “Divorce causes: 23 reasons marriages end in divorce, according to divorced people,” Jan. 17, 2013