Marriages: The New Casualties of COVID
COVID brought with it a world of change – it altered how we saw our fellow citizens, how we socialised, worked, and it put a lot of pressure on marriages, too. As cabin fever set in for many, numerous relationships started to crumble.
"For marriages that struggled under the lockdown and extreme stress of Covid outbreaks, the financial pressures of this post-Covid world are proving too much. That stress causes its own share of health issues, beyond those directly attributed to the virus," said divorce coach Marg Doherty.
For some couples, the stress of the pandemic created cracks they were unable to repair, but for others, the cracks were already there, and they only widened during the lockdowns. While absence can make the heart grow fonder, living in a pressure cooker can have the opposite effect.
There is a range of issues that cropped up for couples during the pandemic.
A lot of people rely on routines, their routines provide them with stability and comfort, and those were gone. Suddenly, many couples were forced to seek all support or stimulation from each other where they would have previously found it elsewhere. It's stressful.
In addition to increasing mental health issues, a lot of people were forced to face up to their differences. The extrovert and the introvert were trapped together with no way to feed their personality needs. Some couples crumbled under the weight of the financial impact the pandemic wrought. Whether they were laid off or furloughed, many people fell prey to financial issues which is one of the most common causes of marital issues.
The number of divorce filings in Australia increased by 8% between 2020 and 2021. Almost 50,000 couples filed in Family Court to end their unions. In 2021, another 56,000+ divorces were granted, which was a 13.6% increase from the previous year. As a result, the courts were under pressure to the point where delays were rampant, and the government looked to reform the Family Law Act to put the focus on conflict resolution. Now, mediation is the first step before you can enter legal proceedings. This step allows couples to sit down and discuss their disputes, discuss the property pool, and how they will work together to care for any children.
Divorce is stressful for everyone involved, even if you know it's the right decision. There are still big emotions at play, and agreeing on how best to divide your assets can be nerve-wracking. There is a lot to overcome, and the longer the process drags on, the more stressful it becomes.
Family law firms are being forced to alter the way they deal with the process in a bid to better serve their clients. One of the solutions is divorce coaching. Divorce is one of the most stressful experiences someone can go through, and a divorce coach can help deal with those big emotions – it doesn't have to be overwhelming.
