Approximately 40 percent of all marriages in Australia end in divorce, and millions of unmarried couples break up each year before even considering marriage. While each relationship is unique and some relationships simply were not meant to last, there are several common causes for a couple’s or marriage breakup.

By taking time to understand what these causes are, you can take steps to strengthen your relationship and prevent a couple’s marriage breakup from occurring.

Infidelity of Spouse
One of the top reasons why marriages end in divorce is infidelity. (By the way, it is told that women can check men’s faces for telltale signs of potential infidelity.) Cheating on your significant other is considered an unforgivable offence by many individuals, so many will immediately end a relationship as soon as they discover that their partner or spouse has been unfaithful. Some will make an effort to forgive the indiscretion and will try to move forward with the relationship. However, once that boundary has been broken, issues with trusted and repeated indiscretions in the future often remain.

Lack of Communication
You may have heard that communication is key to any relationship, and a lack of communication is often cited as a cause for a couple’s or marriage breakup. Being able to clearly communicate involves both parties speaking their minds as well as listening to the other one. Because there will always be times when different parties disagree, open communication and great listening skills serve as a basis for compromise in a relationship. No couple will agree all of the time, but both want to feel heard and both want their opinions and beliefs taken into consideration.

Physical and Verbal Abuse
There are multiple types of abuse that a person can experience in a relationship, and abuse can ultimately cause a marriage to end in divorce. The most well-known type of abuse is physical, and this may include slapping, hitting or kicking the other party. This is a form of intimidation that can be damaging to the other party in terms of their physical health as well as their mental and emotional health.

However, abuse can occur without physical blows being endured. Even name-calling, humiliation, being unnecessarily controlling of an individual and more can be considered forms of emotional or mental abuse. Some parties in a relationship may endure various types of abuse for years, but inevitably, these unhealthy relationships are doomed to fail unless both members of the relationship seek counseling and actively work to correct the situation.

In many cases, understanding what the most common causes for a couple’s or marriage breakup are can help you to take preventive steps in your own relationship. These are among the most common causes of couple’s breakups, but there are other reasons why marriages fail too.

Identifying issues in your own relationship early can help you to make adjustments that will lead to a healthy, happy relationship. However, it is important to note that not every relationship is meant to be, and some marriages will still end in divorce. Some people are simply not compatible. Take a closer, honest look at your own relationship, and consider how you may make adjustments to strengthen it.