The year of 2020 is one for the record books, though it’s safe to say that this leap year is one most people don’t want to remember or repeat. The many trials caused by COVID-19 have taxed relationships most of all, leading to plenty of break-ups and divorces.
COVID Has Weakened Some Marriages and Strengthened Others
The Relationship Health Report from Relish, a relationship coaching and self-care company, is based on a survey of over 1,700 adults in long-term relationships. Here are the key findings:
- COVID-19 has cut relationships short: 68% of respondents who broke up this year believe their union would have lasted longer if it hadn’t been for the stressors of COVID-19. Though, if there isn’t one stress, there’s another. Who’s to say these relationships would have survived any other kind of 2020?
- Mental health has taken the biggest toll: 58% of respondents say the most significant impact of COVID-19 has been on their mental health. Depression and anxiety are at record highs, even for the most optimistic among us.
- Mobile phones are tanking relationships: Phone usage is up 23% and 54% of people say that their partner’s use of their phone has negatively impacted their relationship. Instagram and Tik Tok might be a nice reprieve from reality, but maybe paying attention the person on the other side of the couch is a better choice in the evening.
- We’re having less sex, but that’s OK: Respondents say they’re having 15% less sex since March, but there was no difference between how much sex people wanted to have and how much they are currently having. It seems that everyone is just tired, in every way.
- Couples who have made it through 2020 are happier than ever: 41% of respondents report that their relationship is better now than it was before COVID-19. Sometimes it takes trauma to bring couples closer together.
- Working moms have experienced the most negative impact: Among parents with kids living at home, 41% of working moms have either quit their jobs, considered quitting, or asked for less responsibility, compared to only 24% of working fathers.
- Childcare is almost nonexistent: Nearly 20% of working parents don’t have access to adequate childcare, a number that is almost double what it was pre-pandemic. Add in the demands of virtual schooling and the stakes are even higher.
No-Fault Michigan Divorce
Michigan is a no-fault divorce state. No matter how things panned out in your union, when a relationship has ended and there is no chance of reconciliation, that’s all one half of the couple needs to testify to. No one needs to be at fault for harming or destroying the marriage for it to be dissolved, or point to something as obvious as COVID-19 trauma – someone simply has to want out.
Nevertheless, behavior matters. It is always important to work closely with an experienced Michigan divorce attorney who can help you if there was serious wrongdoing in your marriage. When it comes to parenting time, child custody, and spousal support, a badly behaved spouse who has been deceitful, fraudulent, abusive, or otherwise will factor into divorce settlements.
If you are ready to file for divorce, contact the family law attorneys at Michigan Divorce Help to schedule your consultation.