As the world continues to reel from the effects of a deadly global pandemic, people continue to fall in and out of love—but many have had to put major life decisions on hold. If we learned anything from The Great Recession, it is that when wallets get tight, marriage and divorce are among the first things to get cut from people’s budgets. Add to that a deadly virus that discourages people from leaving their homes and what results is a perfect storm for couples to end up living together long after they would have preferred to separate.
As the Associated Press reports, spending more time together has been great for some couples and not so great for others.[1] For those on the wrong end of that spectrum, “the increased time together ‘may seem more like a house arrest than a fantasy,’” says University of Minnesota professor of marriage and family therapy Steve Harris.
In Oregon, the rate of divorce between March 2020 and December 2020 was down 24% compared to divorces in 2019. At play were factors such as economic insecurity as well as reduced access to the courts, who at some points, pared down caseloads and transitioned to remote hearings.
Does this mean a divorce boom is on the horizon? Possibly. Trends show that the rate of divorce increases during times of economic growth. A quick look at the Great Recession shows a pattern of divorces declining significantly during the worst part of a recession and then sharply increasing when economic forecasts improve.[2] The pandemic, however, has created a much more complex challenge for couples than the Great Recession did.
While stressors such as economic uncertainty, suddenly having children at home full-time, and being in lockdown tested the strength of many relationships, for some couples, the pandemic has been an opportunity to grow stronger. Couples that previously spent a lot of time apart found themselves working from home together all day every day, and some found that they enjoyed it. Many couples allocated the money they saved by staying at home to paying off credit card debt.[3] For some couples, the tragedy of the pandemic was tempered by the world slowing down long enough for them to catch a breath and focus on what really matters. What is clear is that the pandemic has had the power to improve relationships as much as it has had the power to undermine them.
It is too soon to know what the overall impact of Covid-19 on divorce will be, but it is unlikely that divorce rates will follow the same pattern they did during and after the Great Recession. If you are or someone you know is considering getting a divorce, please check out our articles on whether you should hire an attorney and whether mediation is right for you. Here at Schantz Lang, P.C., we are happy to help you navigate these challenging times.
[1] https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2021/02/coronavirus-pandemic-delays-weddings-and-divorces-across-the-us.html
[2] https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/NCFMR/documents/FP/FP-14-19-divorce-rate-recession.pdf
[3] https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/credit-card-debt-fell-even-consumers-having-financial-difficulties-before-pandemic/
