Everybody hopes that their marriage will last forever – but that just doesn’t always happen. It’s a misconception that divorce is always a bad thing, however, because many people have left unhappy marriages only to live more fulfilled lives after.
When you’re approaching a divorce (or already in the thick of it), it’s important to make sure that you don’t buy into any common myths about the process
The above are only a few common myths about divorce. It’s easy to believe divorce myths at first glance, but it’s often important to do research before jumping to conclusions. Here are a few more myths debunked:
Myth #1: Long-term marriages are safe from divorce.
Truth: Over the last few years, marriage rates have dropped below half to around 40%. However, a closer look at the statistics shows that divorce rates among older couples, many of whom have been married for years, are actually on the rise. If you’re approaching retirement and looking at divorce, you’re far from alone.
Myth #2: People should always seek therapy before divorce.
Truth: When people have problems in their marriages, many couples will seek marriage therapists to help couples work through complex issues. While therapists have helped many people rekindle their marriages, it’s not for everyone.
For starters, some marital issues happen because one person in a marriage needs personal therapy but won’t take it, which can often sink a marriage. Furthermore, some issues can’t be resolved with therapy, such as chronic infidelity. Sometimes therapy can just help you approach your split more amicably.
Myth #3: Mothers always keep their children.
Truth: For the longest time, it was believed that mothers should always have custody over their children after divorce. This may come from gender norms that said mothers are more responsible for nurturing and raising their children while fathers are meant to make an income. However, many of the modern roles of mothers and fathers are shared and parenting roles are now often evenly divided.
One truth to divorce is that it’s not always an easy process, even if the end result is positive. It helps many people to understand their legal rights before taking on a divorce.