The Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Children of divorce

There are many stressors that come with taking marriage vows. And while issues such as money, health problems, or even trouble communicating can certainly lead to conflict, and even divorce, the implications of adding alcohol abuse can also be devastating to a relationship.

Despite the efforts the United States has made to curb the use of illicit drugs, it is ironic that the intoxicant doing the most widespread damage is not illegal at all. In fact, a study cited by the National Institute of Health in 2012 concluded that an estimated 17 million people exhibit symptoms of some form of alcohol abuse.

The effects of an alcoholic impact much more than the user, and they can have a direct influence on divorce statistics. Interestingly enough, recent studies indicate that married couples, in which one party has an alcohol problem, are 20 percent more likely to divorce than couples that do not use alcohol.

The same study also concluded a startling figure: marriages where both parties abuse alcohol are equally as likely to end in divorce as marriages where alcohol is not present at all. This imperatively shows how the negative habits of your spouse can influence you and is perhaps the most staggering statistic of all.

Divorce in Illinois, and across the United States, is becoming more socially accepted and no longer carries the stigma it once did. There is no longer any reason to feel “trapped” in a toxic relationship that could be harmful to your physical or emotional well-being. More than ten percent of children are being raised by a parent with a serious alcohol problem. There is no reason to suggest children exposed to alcoholism will have a dissimilar impact than it does on a spouse – proliferating the problem further.

If you are suffering from the negative effects of an alcoholic spouse, it is important to take action as soon as possible. The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. is well-equipped to handle any family and divorce legal issues you may have, and Attorney Williams has more than a decade of legal experience serving the larger Aurora, Illinois area. Contact The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. today for any and all of your family law needs.