Is Divorce Contagious?

Are you more likely to get divorced if your friends and family members divorce? According to research - yes. A comprehensive study of more than 5,000 participants found that people are 75% more likely to be divorced if a close friend or family member was also divorced, and 147% more likely to be divorced if they had multiple divorced friends in their social network. These results make a hard case that divorce is highly contagious, but of course there’s more to the story. Before you worry that your relationship is at risk - read on! 

Correlation does not imply causation. Let’s journey back to school for a moment, and ask any statistics professor about correlation. They will happily point out that just because two things correlate, it doesn’t mean one causes the other. Take note of the wording of the researcher’s findings: “people are more likely to be divorced if a close friend was also divorced” rather than “people are more likely to be divorced because a close friend was also divorced.” That single-word change makes a huge difference in meaning, and while the researchers did find some evidence of causation, they were careful not to overstate it.

Divorce is not the only “contagious” life event. While divorce can indeed spread among social networks, many other life events and social behaviors are also “contagious.” People are more likely to get married when all their friends start getting married, and more likely to begin having kids when their long-time friends start having families. We spend time with people who mirror our interests and values, and it’s natural that our experiences will often align, and the decisions they make in their lives will have some degree of impact on our own. 

Divorce is ultimately a decision between two people. Regardless of divorce clusters or the spread among social networks, divorce is ultimately a deeply personal, often difficult decision between two people. A couple will decide to stay together or split up based on what’s happening between the two of them, not the masses. Likewise, there are happy marriages even in the networks with the highest rates of divorce. As family law attorneys, we know that each and every couple’s situation is unique, and we honor and respect the stories people entrust to our care. 

Support is contagious too! Our favorite part of the study? The results suggest that supporting friends in their relationships - whether they’re happy newlyweds or on the brink of divorce - could “enhance the durability of one’s own relationship.” In other words, being supportive and non-judgmental and a good listener for a friend can strengthen your own relationship to boot. It’s a two-for-one positive karma and we love to see it! 

At Artese Zandri, we provide compassionate and expert guidance to our clients in the process of divorce. If you or someone you know is considering divorce, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation at consultation@artesezandri.com.