6 Signs Your Marriage May End in Divorce

Marriage is tough for just about everyone. But how do you know if your relationship is just going through a rough patch or on a path straight to divorce?

Avoiding the problems that could signal an impending divorce can result in the loss of a relationship that is important to you. And if the relationship wasn’t meant to be from the beginning, dragging it out could result in more pain than necessary.

If you’re struggling to maintain a solid relationship with your spouse, pay attention to these six signs that your marriage may be headed for divorce court:

1. You dream of a life without your spouse. If you are constantly daydreaming about how much better life would be without your spouse, then you may want to think more about the state of your relationship and what steps you should take—be they fixing or ending the relationship. Talking with your spouse is the first step. The conversation won’t be fun, but it is essential for determining relationship issues and moving forward.
2. The bad outweighs the good. Problems in a marriage feed off inactivity: if you do not address the difficulties and seek solutions, the bad will grow until it outweighs the good. A small problem can quickly become an unsolvable one, and unsolvable problems are what lead to a parting of ways.
3. You don’t communicate with your spouse. When you stop sharing your thoughts and feelings with your spouse, it is a sign that the relationship is on the downhill. Communication and intimacy are vital to relieving stress in the relationship and building a stronger bond. When sharing stops, so does change and improvement.
4. You practice negative defense mechanisms. Is your spouse criticizing your beliefs and decisions on a regular basis? When you express a concern, does your spouse get overly defensive? If you and your spouse are dismissing each other’s needs or being extremely critical of each other, there is a sign that the relationship is at a high risk for divorce. Negative defense mechanisms don’t solve problems: they build problems.
5. You feel alone in solving the marital problems. If your spouse is handing you the full responsibility of solving the problems of your marriage and is avoiding working with you at all costs, divorce may become a very sensible option. It takes two to make and solve problems. If you aren’t married to someone who understands this, then all the issues in your marriage will be unsolvable.
6. Sexual intimacy decreases. A romantic relationship without physical affection can quickly crumble or simply become a marriage of convenience.  A lack of sexual intimacy is damaging not only to the relationship, but also the self-esteem of the person being rejected.

If you are seeing some (or all) of these signs but still think that your marriage is salvageable, it may be in your best interest for you and your spouse to attend marital counseling. However, if you are considering divorce, the best first step is to contact an experienced Washington divorce attorney to learn your rights and options.