New Jersey couples may be more likely to divorce over political differences than in past years according to a survey from Wakefield Research that assessed the effects of politics on both married and unmarried couples. According to the survey, 10 percent of people had broken up with a partner over political disagreements. Millennials had an even rate higher rate of ending their relationships over politics of 22 percent. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, 22 percent also said they knew a couple whose relationship had suffered specifically because of the election of President Trump.
The study reported that while money tends to be one of the most common points of conflict for couples, over the past six months, over 20 percent of people said they had disagreed more with their partner about Trump than they had about finances. Almost one-quarter of people in relationships said that since the presidential election, they had more disagreements with their partner about politics than ever before.
A New York divorce attorney noted that in her 35 years practicing family law, she had never seen so many couples with conflicts over politics. She reported mediating a number of divorces with a disagreement over Trump at their cores.
Politics or some other issue may lead a couple to the realization that they have irreconciliable differences. Despite these differences, couples might want to try to work together to negotiate an agreement about property division and child custody rather than turning to litigation. Mediation, which focuses on compromise rather than the adversarial approach of litigation, might even help high-conflict couples reach an agreement that both are happy with. People who are getting a divorce might want to discuss any specific concerns with their attorneys regardless of the method that ends up being used.
