Three Reasons For A Post Coronavirus Divorce Spike

April 24, 2020 • By Liz Billies

While my quarantine days have been relatively calm, I know that it may not be the same for you, particularly if you have a full house. Not surprisingly, this abundance of 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 boon when the stay-at- home orders began to go into effect. 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.

So what would happen when a couple, whose relationship may already be 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 the US as well? 

Like everything in life, and law, I don’t think the answer is so simple. Here are the three reasons why I think there will be a post-coronavirus divorce spike:

o   Coronavirus “epiphanies”;

o   Too much together time without buffers; and

o   Coronavirus related money issues.

Coronavirus Epiphanies

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 or their level of exercise. However, others may look to make bigger moves.

Will these 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 are using this down-time to give me a call?

No Buffers

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

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. Right now, we are stuck in our homes and your only in-person interaction is your spouse and, if you have them, your children. And presents? The only present that I’ve received is my weekly trip to the grocery store.

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

Money Issues

This reason may surprise you. 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 do I think it will cause a post-coronavirus divorce spike?

You only need 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 main factors for dividing your marital property is valuing it. However, these valuations have been affected by the coronavirus, mostly negatively. And, 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 anyway. Let me give you some examples.

Stock and Retirement Assets

Do you have stock and retirement assets? If so, you may want to divide your retirement and stock 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.

Your Marital Home

Do you want to keep the marital residence? Then, you would want your house value to be low so you pay your spouse less for a buy-out. Also, the coronavirus has led to low mortgage rates.  A low rate will keep your mortgage payments down, which is especially helpful to your post-divorce budget.  

I’m not telling you to decide 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.

Will we see a post-coronavirus divorce spike?

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This is tough stuff. We can’t predict what is going to happen. Things are changing daily. 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:

o   Coronavirus “epiphanies” may cause people to evaluate whether they wish to stay in their marriage;

o   Too much together time without buffers may widen the cracks in already crumbling marriages; and

o   Coronavirus’ effect on values of certain assets may affect the timing of divorces for certain people.

Interested to see how these reasons may affect your case? Please contact our Family Law team for more information.