Some marriages are lasting. Others – not so much. In reality, most marriages fall into the middle category, meaning that their success depends on the relationship between the spouses and the challenges they face throughout life together.
However, some risk factors lead to a higher rate of divorce. Knowing the risks when entering into marriage enables the future spouses to make a final decision before it is too late. Regarding the couples married despite the existing threats, knowing the causes of the crisis helps determine the method of resolving divorce disputes.
The most common risks involve young age, lack of education, lower income, pregnancy before marriage, and unrealistic expectations.
Marrying too young can increase the chances of divorce. The couple who is still in their formative years cannot fully grasp the meaning and the consequences of marriage, including the legal aspects of living in matrimony. That can lead to dissatisfaction in the early stages of marriage, especially when a child and other responsibilities arrive.
Lower education or lack thereof will not automatically lead to divorce. But low-educated couples tend to have misconceptions about the world and the society in which they live. Because of that, they are likely to ignore their social and parental responsibilities, causing disrupted marital relationships and divorce.
Similarly, low income is a problem that affects society as a whole. Lower-income spouses struggle with meeting their obligations and maintaining the household, which leads to frequent fights and ultimately divorce.
Being pregnant before marriage is not a taboo nowadays. But in many cases, it indicates an unwanted pregnancy, especially with young couples. Becoming a parent is always a reality check. Spouses have new responsibilities, and some are not up to the task.
Finally, unrealistic expectations about life and marriage can lead to early dissolving. Not having a clear picture of your role as a spouse and parent, or having too many expectations, often results in early disillusionment and a marriage crisis.
Knowing the divorce risks factors, the mediators offer tools for successful dispute resolution that other methods lack.
Unlike litigation, mediation provides the divorcing couple with an in-depth approach to their dispute. The process explores the deeper causes that led to conflict in an attempt to resolve it. Mediation can deliver far better results in resolving issues between couples with preexisting risk factors.
The mediator facilitates the negotiations between the parties, trying to achieve reconciliation concerning disputed issues.
The mediator first conducts private talks with each party to explore their side of the story. In private sessions, the parties have the opportunity to disclose the most intimate details and the causes of the divorce crisis. The mediation procedure is confidential, so there is no reason to worry about privacy. After private talks, the parties meet together in open discussion on all contested issues. The mediator uses special negotiation skills to facilitate the negotiations. The key to the mediation process is its flexibility and confidentiality, allowing the parties to reach an agreement at a deeper level.
With such a structure, mediation can tackle the root causes of a divorce crisis, including the risk factors leading to divorce.
The mediator offers both legal and psychological support to young couples with unrealistic expectations by talking to them openly about pressing issues. Negotiating the matters in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere leaves a positive effect on their future perspective. Young couples that go through mediation will have a better chance to enter into a fruitful marriage in the future.
Likewise, the couple who got children before marriage and then experienced a crisis leading to divorce can benefit a lot from mediation. The mediator will help them settle parenting issues. Furthermore, mediation does not wreak havoc in already disrupted relationships (unlike litigation). Reconciliation reached through peaceful negotiations will set the foundations for a constructive co-parenting relationship in the future.
The same applies to lower-income as a risk factor leading to divorce. Only through mediation dealing with financial issues is mutually beneficial. When low income is the cause of divorce, mediation will help deal with debt distribution far more efficiently than the adversarial litigation process.
Mediation is the most effective tool in resolving divorce disputes regardless of the cause of separation. By exploring the risk factors that led to divorce, mediation helps solve the conflict peacefully while saving time and money.