It’s easy to think that a marriage can survive anything, but you can’t be sure of that until you put it to the test. For millions of couples, the last year has been that test for them, what with the pandemic forcing everyone to stay at home far more often than they’re used to.
With partners having no choice but to spend more time together and be each other’s support network, they’ve really been pushed to their limits. Has that been for better or for worse, though?
These are five things we’ve noticed about the nation’s marriages after a year of lockdowns.
Some Couples Have Thrived In Lockdown
Being stuck in close quarters with their other half hasn’t been a bad thing for a good 500 or so couples that were surveyed last summer. Around 2,500 UK parents living in a coupled household were questioned about the impact of lockdown, and 20% said it had improved their relationship.
Although not all of these pairs were married, that doesn’t diminish the fact that quite a few people found the situation beneficial. Throw in the 70% who reported that their relationship had essentially stayed the same, and it would seem that lockdowns have actually had quite a positive impact on most couples.
Married Couples Have Fared Better Than Others
Understandably, not every relationship has fared the same during the pandemic, with plenty facing the strain of lockdown. However, although married couples faced their difficulties, it seems that cohabiting parents fared worse than their married counterparts.
This is likely down to most people who tie the knot doing so because they’re committed to one another. They’re typically more familiar with each other’s good and bad sides, so there’s not much that can catch them by surprise. Although the increased time together may have accentuated some of the more frustrating qualities in people, most married couples have been able to handle that. For cohabiting parents, though, it’s been a tough time.
Divorce Has Been Present Throughout The Pandemic
Before the pandemic, the divorce rate in England and Wales was 8.9 in every 1,000 couples. This was an increase from the 7.5 recorded in 2018, but a decrease from the 14.2 peak back in the ‘90s. Given that divorces were on the up going into 2020, it’s perhaps not surprising that the pandemic has seen plenty more couples end their union.
With the pandemic playing heavily with people’s emotions, and behaviour more heightened after months of lockdowns, it’s no great shock that divorces are still prominent. While splitting up like this can be heartbreaking, sometimes it’s for the best. Both parties deserve to be satisfied in their relationship, and if that’s not happening, this is sometimes the only solution.
Anyone currently in this position or who feels they’re on the verge of ending things might appreciate that they can find a firm here to help with a divorce. This Cardiff divorce lawyer has been around for a century, and with excellent accreditations to their name, they could be the solution you need to keep proceedings as amicable as possible. You deserve to have things go smoothly during such a difficult time, especially when there are kids involved.
Searches For Divorce-Related Terms Dropped
Although divorces have been consistent over the last year, it seems that online searches for related terms have actually been down during the pandemic.
After the first lockdown, there was a reported 55% drop for anything related to divorce, despite the situation potentially pushing people to breaking point. This might have been down to factors like the virus making people realise how precious life is, and therefore, couples tried harder to get along.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the desire for divorce was necessarily less prevalent. Some couples may have been waiting until the pandemic was over to do anything about it because they had more important things to worry about. Parents of children, in particular, may have been wary of adding more disruption to their kids’ lives, so they felt it best to stay together until things were back to normal.
Same-Sex Divorces Has The Potential To Change
One of the most notable findings around pre-pandemic divorces is just how many were for same-sex couples. In 2019, there were reportedly double the number of separations for these partnerships than there was the previous year. While that figure was fewer than 1,000 – and over 100,000 less than opposite-sex divorces – the rate is still quite eye-opening.
Official divorce statistics for 2020 are not yet out, so it’s hard to confirm how things have changed in this regard. Given that the main reason for divorces in 2019 was unacceptable behaviour, namely adultery, it’s possible that the lockdowns may have kept people together. Then again, the frustration of not seeing other people may have only driven a wedge between couples quicker.
The last year was one that few were prepared for, so it’s no surprise that it’s had quite the impact on marriages. Even if lockdown split up plenty of couples, though, it also cemented many others and ensured they’d stay together forever.
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