Studies have found that your daily commute really could be connected to your odds of divorce. For instance, if you have a commute that is over 45 minutes, the odds that your marriage will end in divorce go up by roughly 40%.
This does not mean that divorce is a guarantee. Many couples do learn to deal with a long commute, and their odds of divorce actually decrease if this is something they have had as a long-term arrangement. But technically speaking, if you or your spouse takes a new job with a long commute, the odds of divorce do rise.
A strain on your time
The issue is that a long commute puts additional strain on the time that you and your spouse have to spend together. If you are driving 45 minutes to work, you are spending an hour and a half on the road every day. Combined with the time that you are actually at work and on your lunch break, this means you have dedicated roughly 10 hours to your job.
A lack of time together can certainly cause a couple’s relationship to deteriorate. It can also be an issue if that couple has children. Say that one spouse stays home to watch the children while the other works long hours and has a long commute on top of that. The stay-at-home spouse may end up feeling like they are parenting alone, and it can cause a lot of stress in the relationship.
The legal side of a divorce
Do you believe that you and your spouse may be getting closer to a divorce? Have you been talking about it or considering filing this year? If so, it is very important to understand exactly what legal steps you will need to take and what options you have.
