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Couples rarely split over one dramatic moment. The data shows divorce is usually the end of a slow erosion, and the reasons people name are surprisingly consistent. Lack of commitment tops the list, cited by 75% of divorced individuals in a peer-reviewed study.
The 10 reasons below are ranked by how often divorcing people cite them, with the real numbers behind each one and a source for every figure. What those reasons mean in a Florida case is a separate question, because the law works differently than most people expect.
| Rank | Reason | Share who cite it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lack of commitment | 75.0% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 2 | Poor communication | 65% | Survey of 100 therapists |
| 3 | Infidelity | 59.6% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 4 | Too much conflict and arguing | 57.7% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 5 | Partner with debt | 54% | National Debt Relief, 2023 |
| 6 | Marrying too young | 45.1% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 7 | Domestic abuse | 23.5% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 8 | Health problems | 18.2% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 9 | Lack of family support | 17.3% | Scott et al., 2013 |
| 10 | Religious differences | 13.3% | Scott et al., 2013 |
Lack of commitment is the most cited reason for divorce. In Scott et al. (2013), 75% of divorced participants named it as a major contributor, the highest share of any factor. It is also the vaguest, which is part of why it ranks so high.
People use “lack of commitment” to describe a pattern, not a single act. One spouse stops investing. Date nights end, hard conversations get avoided, and the relationship runs on autopilot until one person decides they are done.
Commitment erosion often shows up before the more dramatic causes do. By the time infidelity or constant fighting appears, the underlying detachment is usually already there. That sequencing is why so many people point back to commitment when they reflect on what happened.
Communication problems are cited as the single most common factor in divorce by a wide margin. In a survey of 100 mental health professionals, 65% named it the top driver, ahead of an inability to resolve conflict at 43%.
This is the reason couples therapists see most. It rarely means people stopped talking. More often they kept talking but stopped listening, or every exchange turned into a fight.
Psychologist John Gottman spent decades studying this. His research identified four communication patterns, criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling, that predict divorce with striking accuracy. Contempt, the habit of treating a spouse with disrespect, is the strongest single warning sign.
Infidelity is named as a major contributor by 59.6% of divorced individuals, making it the third most cited reason overall. For many couples it is the visible breaking point rather than the root cause.
An affair rarely starts the decline. More often it follows the detachment and poor communication already discussed. That said, it tends to be the moment a spouse decides to file, which is why it looms so large in people’s memory of why the marriage ended.
Usually not by much. Florida is no-fault, so a judge won’t punish a cheating spouse simply for the affair. It can matter in narrow ways. If marital money was spent on the affair, that spending can affect how property is divided under the state’s equitable distribution rules.
Yes, and the data backs it up. Too much conflict and arguing was named by 57.7% of divorced participants as a major contributor to their split. Frequent, unresolved conflict wears couples down over years.
The issue is rarely the number of arguments. It is how they go. Couples who fight but repair, apologize, and move on tend to last. Couples who let arguments curdle into contempt tend not to.
Money is one of the most reliable predictors of divorce. A national study of 4,574 couples found that financial disagreements were the strongest single argument type predicting divorce, ahead of arguments about children, sex, or in-laws (Dew, Britt & Huston, 2012).
Debt makes it worse. In a National Debt Relief survey, 54% of people said a partner carrying significant debt was reason enough to consider divorce. Note that this figure is about debt specifically, not money troubles in general.
Arguments about money are rarely just about dollars. They signal mismatched values around security, freedom, and trust. When one spouse hides spending or debt, the breach of trust often does more damage than the balance itself.
Marrying young is one of the strongest demographic risk factors for divorce. In the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics NLSY79 data, marriages that begin in the teens and early twenties divorce at far higher rates than marriages formed later. Corroborating research finds that someone who marries at 25 is over 50% less likely to divorce than someone who marries at 20.
The pattern holds in self-reports too. In Scott et al. (2013), 45.1% of divorced participants cited “marrying too young” as a major contributor. Maturity, finances, and identity all keep developing into the late twenties, and a marriage formed before that often strains as both people change.
Domestic abuse was cited as a major contributor by 23.5% of divorced individuals in the Scott study. Unlike the vaguer reasons higher on the list, this one carries direct legal weight in Florida.
Abuse is one of the few situations where conduct sharply changes a Florida case. It affects time-sharing decisions, can support an injunction for protection, and may justify exclusive use of the family home.
Serious illness strains marriages, but it ranks lower than people expect. In Scott et al. (2013), 18.2% of divorced participants cited health problems as a major contributor. The figure covers physical illness and incapacity reported by participants, not mental-health diagnoses, which the study did not measure separately.
Chronic illness reshapes a marriage. Roles shift, one spouse becomes a caregiver, intimacy changes, and medical costs add financial pressure. For some couples that deepens the bond. For others it becomes the strain that breaks it.
A lack of support from family was named by 17.3% of divorced participants as a major contributor. Marriages don’t exist in a vacuum, and a couple cut off from a supportive network carries more weight alone.
This cuts two ways. Some couples lack support entirely. Others have family that is too involved, taking sides or undermining the marriage. Both extremes raise the strain.
Religious differences were the least cited of the top reasons, named by 13.3% of divorced participants. On its own, a faith gap rarely ends a marriage. It tends to surface other conflicts instead.
The friction usually shows up around decisions, not beliefs. How to raise the children, which holidays to observe, and how to spend money and time can turn a quiet difference into a recurring fight, especially after kids arrive.
Here is what surprises most people: in Florida, the reason your marriage ended usually has little to do with the divorce itself. Florida is a no-fault state. The only ground you need is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken” under Fla. Stat. § 61.052.
You don’t prove your spouse cheated, overspent, or checked out. You don’t need their permission either. That keeps the focus off blame and on the practical questions: property, support, and the children.
Conduct can move the needle on specific issues, even in a no-fault system:
Property division. Florida splits marital assets by equitable distribution under Fla. Stat. § 61.075. If a spouse wasted marital money on an affair or hid debt, a judge can weigh that.
Time-sharing. Since July 1, 2023, Florida law starts from a rebuttable presumption that equal, 50/50 time-sharing serves the child’s best interest under Fla. Stat. § 61.13. Evidence of abuse or neglect can rebut it.
Alimony. Florida ended permanent alimony on July 1, 2023 under SB 1416. Courts now award bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational support, with caps tied to the length of the marriage.
Seeing your marriage in this list doesn’t mean divorce is inevitable. Many couples recover from communication breakdown or financial conflict with real work. But it helps to know your options before you decide.
Start with the pattern, not the symptom. A licensed marriage and family therapist can help with the communication habits Gottman flagged, and many couples see progress. The earlier you address contempt and stonewalling, the better the odds.
Get organized before you file. Gather financial records, list marital assets and debts, and think about a parenting schedule. In Florida, full financial disclosure is required, so accurate records save time and money. A consultation early on, even if you are unsure, helps you understand your rights and avoid costly missteps.
Talk to a Jacksonville Divorce Attorney: If your marriage is showing these signs, a confidential consultation can help you understand your options under Florida law. Sacks & Sacks has guided Jacksonville families through divorce for more than 25 years. Schedule a Consultation or call (904) 396-5557.
Lack of commitment is the most cited reason. In a peer-reviewed study of divorced individuals, 75% named it as a major contributor to the end of their marriage. Communication problems (65%) and infidelity (59.6%) rank close behind.
Usually not for the divorce itself. Florida is a no-fault state, so the only legal ground is that the marriage is irretrievably broken under Fla. Stat. § 61.052. The reason can still shape alimony, time-sharing, and property division when conduct like abuse or financial waste is involved.
Among people who had married by age 55, about 46% had divorced at least once, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the NLSY79. Marriages that begin at younger ages fail far more often than those that start later.
Both rank high. A survey of 100 mental health professionals found communication problems were the most cited factor at 65%. Separate longitudinal research found financial disagreements were the strongest single predictor of divorce among common arguments.
No. Florida eliminated permanent alimony effective July 1, 2023 under SB 1416. Courts may still award bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony, but the length and amount are now capped by formula tied to the length of the marriage.
✓Reviewed by
Family Law Attorney & Partner, Sacks & Sacks
