For All The Right Reasons: When Divorce Is Your Only Option

When we get married, we always think it’s going to last forever. Standing in front of your partner, up there at the altar, on the happiest day of your life, it’s hard to comprehend the fact that it might not last forever. That’s not to say that you should approach your wedding day expecting something to go wrong, or expecting your marriage to fail! But the fact is, problems do arise between couples – and sometimes these problems are simply too great to be overcome.

Fight For Your Relationship

As a happily married couple, divorce is a prospect so terrible that it’s difficult to imagine it happening to you. But when things aren’t right between you and your partner – and when they haven’t been right for a long time – divorce can start to seem like far less of a negative outcome, and more like a way to escape. If things are starting to go wrong, however, you need to be absolutely sure that your relationship is beyond repair before considering divorce as a viable course of action.

In these uncertain times, with divorce rates increasing so rapidly, it’s important to ensure that you fight for your relationship, if love still remains between you and your partner. Think carefully about the vows you took on your wedding day – there was a time that you meant enough to one another that you agreed to spend the rest of your lives together. You owe it to each other to try and save your relationship, if it can be saved. Sometimes, however, this is just sadly not the case.

The Five Legal Grounds For Divorce

There are dozens of reasons that couples begin to argue, or feel their affections begin to wane – perhaps you feel you have been wronged by your partner, that you’re not being given the attention or respect that you deserve or that you simply have been growing apart. There are five reasonable grounds for divorce that are recognised by the law – if you can prove that one or more of these apply to your situation, you will likely be granted a divorce by a court of law. If you’re not sure whether any of these grounds for divorce do match your circumstances, a divorce lawyer can help you to better understand them.

The first legal reason for divorce is adultery. If you know, or even suspect, that your partner has engaged in sexual activity with someone else of the opposite sex, you can file for divorce. If your partner refuses to confess to their suspected adultery, a divorce solicitor will be able to advise you on the best course of action.

The second reason is ‘unreasonable behaviour’. If your husband or wife is verbally or physically abusive towards you, fails to offer appropriate respect or affection or prevent you from leaving the house, then they are behaving unreasonably, and if you are able to provide proof, you will be able to file for divorce.

Desertion is another reason you can seek a divorce from your partner. If your partner has left you, without mutual agreement or a valid reason, has been gone for over two years and is deliberately seeking an end to your relationship, you can instigate divorce proceedings on grounds of desertion.

You are also able to pursue a divorce if you have been living separately from your partner for more than two years, on good terms. Provided that your husband or wife are happy to sign a document agreeing to a divorce, separation proceedings should be relatively straightforward.

The final legal reason for which you may initiate the divorce process is non-mutual separation lasting more than five years. In this scenario, a divorce can be sought through a divorce lawyer, without your partner’s consent – provided that it does not cause them ‘extreme’ difficulties.

Be Absolutely Sure 

I really can’t stress it enough – you can’t act too hastily when it comes to divorce. If there’s any niggle or shred of doubt that your relationship can be salvaged, you owe it to your partner to take that chance, before you begin the divorce proceedings. Communication and compromise are the two key concepts that can save your relationship. Be open with your partner – not just verbally, but also be open to a bit of give and take. The relationship can’t be gotten back on track if neither of you are willing to make allowances for the other. 

If you’ve done all you can to keep the relationship alive and it still seems like you simply cannot save the marriage, then you may have no choice but to file for divorce. This can be a very difficult transition to go through – for additional support and explanation on the finer points of the process, consider talking to a divorce solicitor.

About the author: Lemon & Co are qualified and professional divorce lawyers in Swindon – for divorce advice and recommendations, you can visit the Lemon & Co website.