At the onset of the Covid pandemic, a relationship expert and “breakup coach” in Tennessee, decided to conduct a survey to find out how the divorce rates were being affected as the pandemic lagged on. In April of 2020, Mr. Wilson surveyed several thousand married couples, ages 18 to 64, asking them if the virus had done more harm than good to their relationships.
In a NY Times article, Mr. Wilson reported that 29.9 percent of the 1,277 couples surveyed from ages 18 to 64 and living in the United States, England, Canada, India and the Philippines said that the virus had indeed done more harm to their marriages, and were therefore heading for divorce.
In February 2021, 10 months after Mr. Wilson sent out his first survey, he did a follow-up survey, again asking married couples a series of multiple-choice questions to determine if the coronavirus crisis had a negative or positive impact on their marriages.
A whopping 2,429 surveys were returned, mostly from Mr. Wilson’s subscribers in the United States (48.7 percent) and England (21.4 percent). This time around, 17 percent of those questioned believed the pandemic had actually strengthened their relationship over a greater period of time.
One can imagine multiple reasons for the decline; too much uncertainty, lack of finances or inter-dependence on joint finances, difficulty finding alternative living arrangements, health concerns, mutual responsibility for in-home child care, etc. What is certain, is that some couples found a way to work through their conflicts, without resorting to separation, divorce, or the court system. Almost equally certain is that some people will still divorce in the future, but they will likely do it differently.
Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. Courts were harder to access, people were more concerned with surviving, and "forever and ever" seemed imminently closer than before. What is clear is that those mediated compromises worked to salvage relationships, at least for a time, if not permanently. The post-Covid emerging trend seems to be that people are more methodical and engaged with the humanity of their choice to divorce. Some are contemplating but unsure, while others are sure but desirous of a human approach over a scorched-earth approach, says New York divorce attorney Ken Jewell.
When you cannot reach an enduring compromise on your own, whether you want to work it out, separate for a time, terminate your relationship, or find yourself in any other family conflict, Blend Mediation is ready to help empower you toward mutual agreement. We do in hours, what can take months or years in litigation, while saving you money, time, stress, all while preserving relationships.
Lee Wilson article - https://myexbackcoach.com/has-lockdown-harmed-marriages/
