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Study finds politics a growing source of relationship problems

On Behalf of | May 25, 2017 | Divorce

California couples who find they have been arguing more over politics since the 2016 presidential election are not alone. According to a survey by Wakefield Research 24 percent of people in a relationship said they were arguing more than ever about politics since the election.
The study was conducted in April with 1,000 participants. Millennial couples reported a high rate of relationships ending over political disagreements with 22 percent breaking up with a partner. Across all couples, about 10 percent said the relationship ended because of politics.
Finances are a major source of conflict for many couples, but in the survey, more than 20 percent of couples said that in the last six months they had argued more about the policies of the Trump administration than they had about money. One divorce attorney stated that she was seeing the highest number of marriages end over politics that she had for her entire career. The Wakefield study also reported that 22 percent of people said they knew a couple whose relationship had suffered direct and negative repercussions as a result of the election.
Whatever the reason for the divorce, the process may be difficult and emotional. Couples who have been in high-conflict marriages may struggle to decide issues such as property division and child custody. However, they may want to try working with a mediator who takes a cooperative approach to resolving these issues rather than the adversarial approach of litigation. Since California is a community property state, most assets will be considered shared property as long as they are acquired after marriage. However, not every asset must be divided 50/50, and negotiating property division might allow couples to reach a solution that feels more fair than a judge’s decision may.

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