You may have heard people say that military marriages are likely to fail. That certainly doesn’t mean that most of them will, of course, but just that the odds of getting divorced are higher if at least one person is in the military.
The statistics do bear this out, and a military career can increase your odds of getting a divorce. Let’s look at a few reasons why this happens.
Getting married young
For one thing, a lot of people will get married young when they’re in the military. They may want to be able to live together on the base, for instance, and need to be married to do so. Young marriages have a much higher divorce rate, so those who are getting married in their teens or early 20s as they join the military are more likely to split up than civilians who get married in their 30s.
Moving and distance
Additionally, a military lifestyle is not always stable. It can be hard for a family when they have to move around the country or around the world. In some cases, there can be a significant distance between the two people when one of them is deployed. These issues all take a toll on their marital connection.
Cognitive changes
Finally, those who have military careers often struggle with things like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. Reports show that these can all put a lot of stress on a relationship and may make it more likely that a couple gets divorced.
If you and your spouse are going to get divorced in the future, it’s very important that you know exactly what options you have and what legal steps you’ll need to take.