What are the causes of divorce today?
The older generations may have settled for an unhappy marriage in the past. In present day, divorce is no longer socially taboo.
In China, the world’s second largest economy, 1.85 million couples filed for divorce with the civil affairs authority in the first half of 2017. According to relationship experts and divorce lawyers, higher expectations and growing financial independence (especially among women) lead to a higher divorce rate.
In actual fact, however, domestic violence and extramarital affairs are leading causes of divorce in China. For instance, 93% of divorce cases in Beijing No 2 Intermediate People’s Court are a result of domestic violence or extramarital affairs. Domestic violence is not limited to physical violence. It also includes cold violence (neglect or no communication) and verbal abuse.
41% of divorced members on dating website Jiayuan had their divorce within the first 5 years of marriage. Likewise, Jiayuan found out through its survey that:
- 18% of divorced female members divorced because of domestic violence while 38% divorced due to extramarital affairs.
- For divorced male members, 25% were cheated on and 2% suffered abuse.
Lawyers interviewed agreed that the main causes of divorce are domestic violence and extramarital affairs.
In response to the high divorce rate in China, one Court in Jinan, Shandong province decided to impose a three-month cooling-off period for couples to think things through before filing for divorce.
See: “Why millions of Chinese people are filing for divorce every year”, Today, 3 November 2017
The causes of divorce in Singapore appear to be similar to that in China. While most divorce in Singapore proceed on the reason of “unreasonable behaviour”, I have encountered many cases of cheating spouses and family violence in Singapore.
For instance, according to government statistics, there were 2,811 applications for personal protection orders in 2016.
While many of my clients list “unreasonable behaviour” as their reason for divorce, some of them do so as they wish to resolve their divorce amicably while others do not have sufficient evidence to prove adultery.
Regardless of the causes of divorce, as a divorce lawyer, my most important duty is to help my clients resolve their problems and move on in life.
For more information on how we can assist you, contact us today!
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