Divorce During Illness

As difficult as a serious illness can be, life can become much more complicated when such a situation coincides with the ending of a marriage.  It also can make a divorce even more complicated or hurtful than it would otherwise be when one person in the couple is struggling with health concerns.

For some people, it may be hard to understand how anyone could seek a divorce if their spouse is sick.  For others, it may seem like if there is a divorce during an illness, this indicates earlier difficulties in the marriage.  However, there are many reasons that couples may divorce during or following an illness.  Such a trial can be extremely stressful.  It may bring up previous issues from the marriage, or may simply be too overwhelming for either partner.  The spouse who is ill may seek divorce after feeling unsupported.  There are many reasons that divorce and illness could occur, but studies have shown the following:

• In couples divorcing when one spouse had cancer, it was seven times more likely that the husband was divorcing a sick wife than the other way around.
• In the cases when a woman divorces a husband with a serious illness, they are more likely to report earlier marital unhappiness than when the situation is reversed.
• The general divorce rate for couples facing a health crisis is similar to the divorce rate of couples in general.

Another consideration for couples divorcing during an illness is that each spouse’s health status can have an effect on alimony.

If you or your partner are facing a serious health problem while you divorce, the Oceanside divorce lawyers of Fischer & Van Thiel, LLP, are ready to help. Call 760-722-7646 to discuss your options today.