Many factors can influence the decision to divorce. One of them is a spouse’s illness.
In certain circumstances, serious illnesses such as cancer, stroke and heart disease along with burden of care that comes with these illnesses may cause irreparable damage to a marriage. The physical, psychological and financial stress may be too much for couples to want to continue with the union.
When wives become sick, marriages more likely to end
A study examined divorce rates involving couples in which either spouse suffered from a serious illness. The results: The marriage had a 6% higher chance of ending in divorce when the wives became ill compared with if the wives were still healthy. Another key finding: a husband’s illness did not increase the chances of divorce.
A serious illness involving a life-or-death experience may add stress to a marriage and even lead some people to re-evaluate their lives.
In some circumstances, the healthy spouse may become the primary care giver in addition to now having complete responsibility of managing the household. The result may be that the pressure is just too much as the dynamics of the marriage changed.
Another factor to consider: When one spouse from a two-income-earning household is recovering from illness and unable to work, greater financial strain surfaces, leading to stress, uncertainty and general unhappiness.
Understand your legal options
With a serious illness comes the increased risk of depression as well as divorce. If you sense that your marriage may not survive after suffering a serious illness, carefully understand your legal options. It is essential to remain prepared.