3 Reasons for a Post Coronavirus Divorce Spike

I’m starting to feel like Captain Kirk. Captain’s Log: Quarantine, Day 14. I think it’s Wednesday? Sunday? Looking forward to finishing Tiger King later today. While my quarantine days have been calm (so far) I know that it may not be the same for you, particularly if you have a full house. Not surprisingly, all of this family time has led many to ask the question: Will there be a post Coronavirus divorce spike? Be honest, have you been thinking about this too?

I thought about whether there would be a post Coronavirus divorce spike almost immediately when the stay at home orders began to take affect. I’ve had a lot of cases over the years that, for various reasons, the divorcing couple continued to live together while their divorce case dragged on. And trust me, things always got chippy. I had one case where the parties had to make a kitchen and laundry schedule so they didn’t have to be in the same room together at any point.

So, I thought, what would happen when a couple, whose relationship is already strained, is forced to stay inside for weeks, without work or third parties to act as a buffer? Would they make it? Or would I be seeing record breaking calls for initial consults? Parts of China have already seen an increase in divorce filings. Will we too?

Are you curious too? Like everything in life, and law, I don’t think the answer is so simple. Here are my three reasons why I think there will be a post Coronavirus divorce spike:

• Coronavirus “epiphanies”;
• Too much together time without buffers; and
• Coronavirus related money issues.

Ready? Let’s discuss.

Coronavirus “epiphanies” may cause a post Coronavirus divorce spike.

Have you ever watched a movie where the main character gets in a car accident or goes through a crisis? And when it’s over the music lifts and the sun starts to shine? And they see life in a whole new way?

Will getting the Coronavirus or watching a loved one succumb to it cause people to see life in a new way? Like some sort of Coronavirus epiphany? There is nothing like a health scare to cause people to reevaluate their life. For some, those changes will be to their diet and their level of exercise. However, others may look for bigger changes.

Will Coronavirus epiphanies be enough to cause a post Coronavirus divorce spike? Will the sun start to shine and cause people to realize they aren’t happy in their relationship and wish to make a fresh start?

Honestly, only time will tell if the Coronavirus epiphany will lead to a post Coronavirus divorce spike. However, I have noticed that most of the calls that I have been getting for initial consults recently are from people that had been contemplating divorce for a while but have decided now is the time to make a change. Is it because they don’t want to go into post Coronavirus life with their estranged spouse? Or is it simply because they now have some down-time to give me a call?

Too much together time without buffers may reveal all ready present relationship issues causing a post Coronavirus divorce spike.

Is your spouse’s “work voice” starting to annoy you? Did you just realize that he or she has a habit of leaving half drunken cups of coffee around the house (i.e. new office?) Are you wishing that your spouse would put on real pants? At least for dinner anyway?

Ah, yes, life in the time of the Coronavirus. Are you starting to feel the strain of staying in the house with your spouse 24/7? You aren’t alone. Even the strongest of relationships are probably struggling right now. But what if your relationship was already in trouble? Will this result in a post Coronavirus divorce spike?

The only reference that we have to this stay at home time is the holiday season. We often see a divorce spike in January, in part because people spend a lot of time together over the holidays, widening cracks in already crumbling marriages.

However, the Coronavirus is like holiday time on steroids. During the holiday season, you can leave your house, spend time with others and, most importantly, get presents. While one can consider Tiger King as Netflix’s gift to us (and it really is), we are stuck in our homes and your only in-person interaction is your spouse and, if you have them, your children.

It’s enough to try any relationship. But throw a stay at home order at a marriage that is already not doing well? Yikes! I think that the longer we self-quarantine, the more marriages will fall victim to the post Coronavirus divorce spike.

Coronavirus related money issues will cause a post Coronavirus divorce spike.

This one is going to surprise you. And may sound really harsh. Choosing to get divorced is an emotional and thoughtful decision, with repercussions for yourself, your spouse, and your children. However, it is also a financial decision. So how does the Coronavirus play into this? And why will it cause a post Coronavirus divorce spike?

You only have to turn on the television for a few minutes to see how the Coronavirus is affecting the global economy. People are losing jobs, businesses are closing, and the stock market has gone up and down more times than a yo-yo.

One of the three prongs of dividing your marital property is valuing your marital assets. This valuation has been affected by the Coronavirus in a few ways. Are any of these affecting you?

While it may sound like divorcing when the value of your marital estate is at an all-time low would be a bad idea, the opposite may be true. For some people anyways. Let me give you some examples.

How does this apply to you and why may it cause a post Coronavirus divorce spike?

Do you have stock and retirement assets ? If so, you may want to divide these accounts when they are worth less, knowing that when the market bounces back, these accounts will bounce back too. Also, any monies deposited into these accounts after separation (and the eventual gain on those separate funds) will not be subject to property division. In other words, you won’t have to share them with your spouse.

Do you want to keep the marital residence? Then you would want your house value to be low so you have to pay your spouse less for a buy out. Also, interest rates are pretty low right now, making it a good time to refinance a mortgage. A low interest rate will also keep your mortgage payments down, especially helpful to your post divorce budget.

I’m not telling you to make a decision on whether you want to end your marriage solely based on the market or your finances. However, for those that were already contemplating divorce, it is smart to factor in how the timing of that separation will affect your finances. Will people recognize the financial benefit of divorcing post Coronavirus? Will this recognition cause a post Coronavirus divorce spike? Again, time will tell.

So will we see a post Coronavirus divorce spike?

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, this is tough stuff. I can’t predict what is going to happen. Things are changing daily. In reality, there may be even more reasons for a post Coronavirus divorce spike that I have not even considered. However, I believe that we will see an increase in divorce filings for the following reasons:

• Coronavirus “epiphanies” may cause people to evaluate whether they wish to stay in their marriage;
• Too much together time without buffers may widen the cracks in already crumbling marriages; and
• Coronavirus’ affects on values of certain assets may affect the timing of divorces for certain people.

There is nothing wrong with taking a few weeks to see how everything plays out. Take a breath. Don’t do anything rash. And keep checking back here for more Coronavirus-related divorce information.

What’s next on the blog about Coronavirus?

Did you miss my article about how the Coronavirus is affecting property division? If so, you can check it out here. Or, are you not sure if you are supposed to follow your custody order during this Pandemic? Get the answer here.

Has the Coronavirus affected your employment status? Did you have to close your business? Still open but losing customers? Next week I’ll continue my look at how the Coronavirus is affecting the divorce world when I examine how a Coronavirus job loss may affect your child support obligation. Don’t miss my thoughts!

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Have a question about how the Coronavirus may affect your divorce? Have a reason why you think divorces will spike after the pandemic? Leave a comment below or send me an email!