Many divorces specifically occur because of inappropriate conduct on the part of one spouse. Infidelity or a violation of the trust between spouses is one of the more common reasons that people decide to end marriages.
After all, if someone can no longer trust the person that they share their home and their finances with, they may live with a great deal of stress and uncertainty. Infidelity actually comes in a variety of different forms, each of which can do real damage to a marital relationship. The three forms of fidelity below could all theoretically lead to a divorce filing.
Financial infidelity
Many modern marriages involve two wage-earning spouses. Each person may already have certain assets in their name when they marry and may have various financial obligations. There is an expectation that those who get married should disclose their resources, income and debts to each other. Sometimes, one spouse hides tens of thousands of dollars in student loans or misrepresents their salary. They claim to make 20% less than they actually do and set those extra funds aside in a hidden bank account. Financial infidelity undermines marital trust and also leads to unfair financial circumstances within a marriage.
Sexual infidelity
Discussions of infidelity almost always focus on sexual or romantic infidelity. Pursuing someone else, going on dates and having intimate encounters with someone other than a spouse is a clear violation of marital vows. The spouse conducting extramarital affairs may waste marital funds trying to hide their activity from their spouse. They can damage their spouse’s sense of trust and self-esteem. They may even endanger the health of their spouse. Those who discover sexual infidelity often find it impossible to move past this egregious violation of the marital relationship.
Emotional infidelity
In recent years, the idea of an emotional affair has gained social traction. Some people have emotional affairs that eventually turn into sexual or physical affairs. Others have no intention of having intimate contact with another person but engage in emotional infidelity nonetheless. Emotional infidelity occurs when someone else replaces a spouse as someone’s closest confidant and friend. Someone who relies too much on a co-worker for emotional support could end up disengaging from their spouse as a result. Emotional infidelity is sometimes an opportunity for people to reconnect and work on their relationships. Other times, emotional affairs help establish that a marital relationship is no longer healthy and functional.
Those contemplating divorce after uncovering a spouse’s infidelity may have a difficult and confusing process ahead of them. Learning more about basic divorce statutes and why other people call it quits can potentially help people feel more comfortable about deciding to file for divorce. Being unable to forgive and forget after discovering infidelity is a common issue that forces people to reevaluate their closest relationships.
