5 Reasons to Get Divorced

OK, the question is one that even thinking about answering makes you feel a little bit morally compromised. If speaking to a close friend, who really would be better off getting divorced, you might with a heavy heart tell them - in seriously conciliatory language - that maybe, yes, they would be best advised to seek a formalized separation leading to a divorce. But speaking coldly and in factual terms about divorce in general? It is not something that makes for comfortable conversation. However, facts are facts. Some people would be better off getting divorced. There are reasons for this. They are as follows:

1) Cases of domestic violence. A battered wife - or husband - would always, always be better off formally separated from their spouse at the very least temporarily, while the violent spouse either seeks and secures therapy to overcome their tendencies. Opinions differ on whether a violent spouse can ever change their ways. Justifications for staying with a violent spouse vary widely. But staying around to be beaten helps nobody.

2) Where the relationship has broken down irrevocably. It may sound defeatist, but sometimes a couple who were initially perfectly suited for one another just grow apart. We, as humans, are constantly developing our personalities, even when we are grown adults with years of life experience behind us. Developing is good, but we cannot always say how it will end. One unhappy couple, with a divorce and a fresh start, can be two happy people.

3) Where one of the couple has fallen in love with someone else. There is a justification for staying together and trying to recover the old spark - for a period of time. But realistically, there is only so long that a couple can stay together when the partnership is unequal. This is not to justify infidelity - either long-term or in "flings" - but a recognition that two people living together in a bad relationship will eventually come to dislike one another.

4) When it turns out that one partner has been using the other for dishonest purposes. Sometimes - often in the case of a celebrity relationship - one party marries the other for what it can do for their career. After a period of pretense has positively affected their career, they start to behave in a way that clearly demonstrates the lie they have been living. In a case like this, can we really blame the wronged party for filing for divorce - and demanding a sizeable financial settlement?

5) Where the initial marriage was entered into hastily. Some couples get married after weeks, or even days, of meeting one another. Some of these couples are perfectly happy together, too, and end up living in wedded bliss until the end of their days. However, others realize very quickly that they have acted in haste and have very little in common, that they can do very little to make the other happy. In these cases, a quick divorce is advisable. Divorce is not a happy thought, but a mismatched couple staying together for appearance's sake is worse.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.