Chaotic year has led to uptick in divorce rate

Sometimes, marriages are easy. Sometimes, marriages are hard. However, this chaotic year has put those happy, easy marriages to the test, and made the more complicated arraignments downright unbearable. In turn, this has led to an uptick in the divorce rate across the country.

A typical year

In a typical year, there is a spike in divorces after the holidays, at the beginning of the year, and then, the rate tapers off as the year goes by. Though, this year has bucked that trend, with the divorce rate rising as early as April of this year, which saw an increased divorce rate of 34%. Even industry insiders have noticed this uptick, with some noticing increased calls for divorce or divorce related matters by as much as 20%.

Behind the uptick

Family law experts speculate that this divorce uptick is largely due to the forced togetherness of this year, combined with the reduction in distractions and entertainment. These two forces not only highlighted and exacerbated already existing issues, but also amplified couples’ stress levels as the walls between work and family life were destroyed. Plus, juggling telework with childcare and schooling with no stress outlets, like gyms, vacations or sleep overs, has proved to be the final straw in many marriages.

Of course, these stressors are a best-case scenario for many couples. Some couples had to face job loss, death and increased health issues.

Options for unhappy couples

If there is one silver lining to the uptick in divorces, it is the normalization of the process that lets unhappy couples know that they are not alone, and that they have options. This realization could help bring couples together through an acceptance of counseling and change. For other Highlands Ranch, Colorado, these numbers can provide the incentive they need to finally move forward with the next, happier stage of their lives through a divorce.