3 arguments to stay together or to separate

When you’re dealing with frustrations in your marriage, it’s not always easy to decide if you want to stay together or separate. For some people, it makes sense to stick together because hard times are going to pass. For others, separating is more appropriate because the relationship has gone downhill beyond the point of no return.

There are arguments to be made for staying together or separating. Here are a few to think about.

Why stay together?

There could be a number of good reasons to stay together. These might include:

1. Having a family and living in a relatively positive atmosphere. While you and your spouse may not be as in love as you were on day 1, if you have a positive life together, staying together may be better as you get through this rough patch
2. Financial issues. Sometimes, it’s simply not reasonable to divorce due to your current financial situation. In that case, staying together while preparing to divorce later might be a better option.
3. You want to work on solutions. If you and your spouse are in agreement that you can work out your issues, then it’s worth trying to do so.

Is there a time when you should divorce?

There tend to be more black-and-white reasons to divorce. For example, here are three reasons that are commonly the cause of divorces in the U.S.:

1. When you can’t trust your spouse to stay with you and you find out that they’ve committed adultery, you may be upset. There can be health implications to not knowing about your spouse’s other partners to consider, too. For many, this is when divorce is most likely.
2. Money issues. Did you find out your spouse has been creating debt you didn’t know about? Maybe they won’t go and get a job, so you’re shouldering all the responsibility. In either case, a divorce could be the next step toward your own financial freedom.
3. Domestic violence. When you can’t relax in your home and feel you’re at risk, then divorce may be on the horizon.

These are a few times to consider divorcing (or not). Only you know your situation and how you feel about it, so consider your options carefully before deciding what to do next.