Unusual reasons behind Australian divorces revealed in new report

Australia’s largest family law firm has released a report which gives a fascinating insight into why Aussie marriages are ending. See the findings.

Exclusive: A spouse becoming an anti-vaxxer or changing gender are some of the more unusual reasons why Australians are filing for divorce, while others are calling time on their marriages because they don’t get on with the in-laws.

Australian Family Lawyers, the country’s largest family law firm, has released a report which gives a fascinating insight into why marriages in Australia are ending.

The report Australian Legal Relationships – Love, Marriage and Divorce in a Modern Nation, also looks at what trends lawyers believe will drive future change in family law, including transgender or same sex partnerships, blended families and battles over pets.

It comes as the divorce rate surged by more than 13 per cent in 2021, compared to the year before, while the number of couples asking for prenups, sometimes at the request of their parents who have loaned or gifted money to a child, also increased.

Elise Fordham, principal lawyer at Watts McCray Lawyers and Australian Family Lawyers. Picture: Justin Lloyd

More than 56,200 divorces were granted in Australia in 2021 and the median duration between marriage and divorce was 12.2 years.

Queensland was the divorce capital, with 2.6 divorces per 1000 Queenslanders, well above the national divorce rate of 2.2 per 1000.

Lawyers said the two most common reasons for divorce were domestic abuse and infidelity, followed by constant arguing.

Financial issues, poor communication and lack of compatibility were other common reasons causing Aussies to end their marriages.

Emerging issues coming between a growing number of spouses was the anti-vaxxer movement.

“We are definitely seeing the Trump effect with the rise of anti-vaxxers, QAnon and other conspiracy theorists,” lawyer Elise Fordham from Watts McCray, in Sydney, said.

“It’s typically men driving this and not wanting their children to have vaccines or medical care.”

Financial issues, poor communication and lack of compatibility were common reasons for Aussie divorces. Picture: iStock

Ms Fordham said before Covid, marriages impacted by one partner being an anti-vaxxer was pretty rare, but she estimated it now featured in around five per cent of her cases.

Meanwhile, a spouse changing gender was a less common reason, but was also being cited as a reason to split.

More common was a break-up due to trouble with the in-laws, often influenced by cultural differences.

“Usually the affected party sides with their family over their partner when it gets too tough.”

Ms Fordham said.

She said women becoming more independent and learning to be ‘selfish’ was also contributing to the increased divorce rate.

But both sexes were becoming more empowered to call time on a relationship that does not work for them.

The report highlighted the rise of the ‘silver splitters’ – those divorcing in their 50s.

It suggested that the period following children leaving home and spouses embarking on new hobbies and interests appeared to be a danger point in a marriage

Australian Family Lawyers practice director Grant Dearlove said his colleagues saw first-hand the key trends that were “affecting the way Australians live, love and relate to each other”.

“Lawyers often have a fly-on-the-wall perspective to family law proceedings but aren’t often in a position to share their insights,” Mr Dearlove said.

“More than 35,000 Australians a year consult us for advice, education and support on navigating their relationship issues.

“Though most relationship situations no longer surprise us, the dynamic nature of family law means there’s always a new and unexpected scenario to deal with.”

Originally published as Unusual reasons behind Australian divorces revealed in new report