As a Florida divorce attorney, I’ve witnessed my fair share of interesting divorce trends. But one thing that I never expected would cause an increase in the divorce rate?
A global pandemic.
Unfortunately, however, COVID-19 seems to be doing just that. According to ABC News, the current closure of family courts across the country ensures that once they reopen, we will see a huge influx of divorce cases.
If you want to make sure that your marriage makes it through this pandemic, here are a few things you should do.
Put Things in Writing
Creating a document that lists your needs during this stressful time will make clear what you expect from each other. Try to come up with four or five ways your spouse can stay on your good side and write them down. The requests you make can target anything from little things like not rinsing dishes after dinner to more pressing issues like disrupting your workday. You can update this document as you see fit, but try not to use it as an outlet for your frustrations. Don’t create a list that picks apart your partner’s behavior, or you might be causing more trouble than you’re fixing.
Respect Work Boundaries
Some of your items from your list above might include the boundaries that you want to set as you both work from home. Now that many of us are telecommuting, creating a clear demarcation between work and home can be difficult. It’s important to communicate with each other when it comes to work schedules so that 1) neither of you causes problems for the other with their job and 2) so that you can unplug and relax with each other when work finishes.
Schedule Alone Time
It doesn’t matter how much you love your partner—spending every waking hour with them will get on your nerves. For this reason, you must take some time every day to just be alone. Time spent working doesn’t count. All of us need time to gather our thoughts. Go for a walk. Take a bath and lock the door. Read a book and make it clear that you don’t want to be interrupted. Whatever you do, take some time for yourself.
Maintain a “Date Night”
Even though restaurants, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues are closed, that doesn’t mean you can’t go on a date. Take some time to plan out what you want to do together. There are lots of options:
• Cook a meal together
• Rent a movie online
• Light some candles for dinner
• Play a game you both like
Your date night should be something that both of you want to do, so start planning by having a conversation about what your ideal stay-in-date-night might be.
Talk to a Florida Divorce Attorney If You Need Help
Some divorce cases can seem rather benign—the closeness of shelter-in-place living can simply prove too much for some couples. Whatever problems existed before only grew worse as time has dragged on in close quarters.
Other cases can be quite serious, stemming from instances of domestic violence, which has increased drastically since the beginning of this year.
If you need help, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline, then get in touch with me. I will work directly with you, no matter what your situation is.