A lack of work-life balance can make a divorce more likely. For instance, one study looked at individuals who qualified as “workaholics.” It found that the odds of divorce were far higher in these relationships. If just one spouse worked too much, it was more likely that the couple would get divorced than when both spouses had more balance in their lives.
People often work too much because they are focused on financial gain and creating stability for their family. In this sense, they may think they are working to help avoid divorce and prevent these complications. But the reality is that overworking can cause their romantic relationship to break down.
The impact of a long commute
In fact, you can even see this when you look at the distance that a person has to commute. If the commute is greater than 45 minutes, the odds of divorce go up by about 40%.
It is not that commuting itself is problematic, but simply that this means the couple has far less time to spend together. In addition to putting in hours at work, one person is spending a significant amount of every day on the road. A couple may be able to function this way for a while, but the cumulative toll on the marriage can cause it to break down over time.
Navigating a divorce
Do you feel that you and your spouse are moving toward a divorce, perhaps because of issues with your work-life balance? If so, you need to know exactly what steps to take when addressing property division, child custody and related issues.