Many people would assume that adultery would be by far the most common reason for divorcing a husband, but this was actually only second on the list.

At the very top of the list, which was compiled by researchers at divorced single parents dating website Next Love, was couples having different goals in life. While other, smaller differences can be overcome, it is easy to see how a fundamental mismatch in life-long ambitions and outlook can destroy a relationship.

The CEO of Next Love, Sigurd Vedal, explained that incompatibility between partners on the really important things can sometimes lead to the second reason on the list. 29.2% of the 43,000 women included in the survey named infidelity as the cause of a breakup, while the rest of the list looked like this:

• Constant bickering, arguing and quarrelling
• Lack of intimacy
• Mental illness – where a marriage crumbles under the strain of living with a partner with a mental illness
• Misconduct - including unacceptable emotional, physical or financial behaviour
• Boredom - where one partner would describe the relationship as ‘dull’
• Physical abuse
• Household problems
• Money problems.

Women most likely to file for divorce

Other research reveals that women tend to be more likely than men to initiate divorce. For example, statistics released by the National Center for Health Statistics over in the US in 2015 showed that women file for divorce two-thirds of the time. The same study revealed some of the reasons behind these separations, and there are many similarities and crossovers with the findings of the recent Next Love survey. The top 5 reasons were given as:

• 1.A lack of emotional connection
• 2.Differences over finances
• 3.A partner who is not engaged with the family or away from home a lot of the time
• 4.An inability to resolve conflict
• 5.Controlling or abusive behaviour.

There are some items on both lists that men and women alike can relate to, including the pressure and stress of financial worries or a couple drifting apart as they don’t see each other enough.

However, it’s interesting to note that there are others that will mainly apply to women, including controlling, abusive or physically violent behaviour. Women may also be said to be more likely to be sensitive to a lack of intimacy or emotional connection, or to attempt to resolve conflict and find their male spouse unwilling to engage to tackle problems head-on.

If you’re considering starting divorce proceedings, it’s important to get the right legal advice. Consulting with a specialist such as the team at Tracey Miller, Liverpool divorce solicitors, can give you the information, guidance and support you need to make the right decisions at this crucial time. Please get in touch to see how we could help.