Over a quarter of parents who live with their partner have considered divorce or separation, new research suggests.
Six in ten adults admitted to experiencing relationship problems in a poll taken on behalf of support charity OnePlusOne. Twenty-six per cent of parents have thought about getting a divorce or separating from their partner, and of those who experience relationship trouble, 23 per cent do not seek any kind of support.
Among those who do, 23 per cent of people seek help from friends, 16 per cent consult their family and seven per cent look for answers on the internet, the poll found.
The results come amidst one of the busiest months for divorce lawyers. The first working day of January has become known as ‘Divorce Day’ due to the high volume of calls lawyers receive from people unhappy about their marriage.
OnePlusOne Director Penny Mansfield said that while people “rarely decide to separate or divorce suddenly”, this time of year could see such a spike in relationship breakdown because “the additional stress of Christmas and the start of the New Year bring these underlying problems to the surface”.
She added that parents who “communicate with one another effectively and are able to work out arrangements about money and the children early on” have the best chance at not dragging their children into the middle of any disputes.
