Communication issues have overtaken infidelity as the leading reason for divorce in Flanders, according to a study released Saturday by the University of Antwerp, in collaboration with Ghent University and KU Leuven.
The shift marks a significant change from 2011, when the same study identified infidelity as the primary cause of marital breakdowns. Researchers now report that couples mainly separate due to struggles with communication or growing apart. Currently, one in three marriages in the region ends in divorce.
Women are increasingly initiating divorces, noted lead researcher Professor Dimitri Mortelmans of the University of Antwerp. He explained that women tend to critically assess their relationships and make swift decisions when they are no longer fulfilling. However, women often suffer greater hardships post-divorce, experiencing higher rates of depression and reduced satisfaction with their quality of life. The number of single mothers struggling financially has more than doubled since 2011.
One in five divorces escalates into a contentious legal battle. Children generally find such situations distressing and frightening, though nearly 75% report being at least as happy after the divorce as they were before. Mortelmans highlighted that persistent parental conflict, rather than the divorce itself, has the most harmful impact on children.
In about 60 per cent of cases, children now live in shared custody arrangements, spending equal time with both parents. This marks a departure from 2011, when six in ten children primarily lived with their mothers. Consequently, the proportion of individuals entitled to child support payments has declined from 57% to 37%.
