Texas couples get divorced for many reasons, including infidelity and other major breaches of trust. However, according to relationship experts, there are several less dramatic reasons that marriages fail. These “silent” relationship killers can be difficult to spot, but couples who learn to recognize them before they take root may be able to save their marriages and avoid divorce court.
Experts say that conflict avoidance is one of the top silent marriage killers. While some couples may think it’s good that they never fight, avoiding conflict can allow disagreements to fester into resentments. This can put a marriage into a death spiral. It’s much better for couples to learn to solve conflicts in a healthy way. Another silent marriage killer for a spouse to avoid is invalidating their partner’s emotions. People need to feel they heard and understood, and brushing off a partner’s feelings can make them feel invalidated.
Stonewalling is another silent marriage killer. According to experts, stonewalling occurs when one partner shuts down or withdraws during an argument and refuses to engage, making it impossible to resolve the conflict. Again, it is essential for couples to communicate and learn how to successfully deal with conflict if they want to have a happy marriage. Finally, change can be a silent marriage killer. All couples change and grow over time, but spouses who evolve in opposite directions may find that they no longer have anything in common. This could spell the end of a marriage.
Unfortunately, some relationships cannot be saved. A spouse facing divorce may find it beneficial to contact a family law attorney as soon as possible. Legal counsel could carefully review the situation and help negotiate favorable arrangements on property division, spousal support, child custody, child support and other important divorce legal issues.