Coronaviruses have been around for centuries, with SARs and MERs both being major recent coronavirus outbreaks. However, COVID-19 is the coronavirus that’s been making the news recently. Since the pandemic began, stay-at-home orders by the government were implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. The quarantine orders that started in 2020 are carrying over to 2021, negatively impacting families in Broward County, and around the world, leading to thousands of separations and divorce.
Contributing Factors of Divorce During COVID-19
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence rates have increased since the COVID pandemic. Since people are forced to stay home more, tensions are high, and people are more aggravated and frustrated. Although some stay-at-home orders have been lifted, life has not returned to normal, and it’s a big stressor for many people.
Job Loss and Financial Issues
Many individuals who have jobs that are not considered “essential” have lost their job. Losing a job means a loss of income. With no income, an abundance of stress is put on families to make ends meet, and there has been limited help from other sources.
Stress
There are various reasons for a household to experience more stress than normal during the pandemic, such as the loss of employment, making ends meet, and distance learning. With everyone being home trying to focus or work, some households are experiencing chaos. On top of trying to figure out how to pay the bills, parents have to help their children with attending school from home. Even in homes where a partner can work from home, with children being home all day, it can be a frustrating situation.
Death of Loved Ones
The effect of COVID-19 has hit some families harder than others due to the death of a loved one. The death of a loved one is often unexpected, and it causes a lot of mixed emotions. These mixed emotions, frustrations, and other stressful factors make a person feel worse, resulting in more problems in the household.
Isolation
Due to the quarantine guidelines and restrictions, family members who do not live in the same household can’t visit each other due to the risk of contracting COVID-19. People are experiencing a new way of living, which does not include some or all of their relatives. Other quarantine guidelines require specific shopping times, which further throws people off schedule, causing confusion and frustration. Feeling lonely can cause extreme anxiety and depression, even for couples.
Lack of Routine
Some couples are accustomed to leaving the house and returning at a certain time. COVID-19 changes the way everyone conducts business, which changes their daily routine. Couples are forced to spend more time in the house together, which can be irritating for one or both spouses. Because spouses are spending more time in the home together, arguments and disagreements are more frequent, and there is nowhere for either spouse to turn to clear their mind or gather their thoughts. With high tempers flaring and personalities clashing, divorce often seems like the only solution to be free from many problems that occur.
Dealing With Co-Parenting During COVID-19
Co-parenting during COVID-19 can be confusing for one or both parents. One parent might not be comfortable allowing their child to visit other family members due to concerns about their child contracting the virus. The other parent might not be as understanding as the other, and various problems can occur because of this. One of the best ways to deal with co-parenting during COVID-19 is to communicate as much as possible and compromise until both parents reach a common ground for a solution.
Court Delays Due to COVID-19
The drastic increase in divorce filings during the COVID-19 pandemic has the courts busy. Courts are in the middle of processing thousands of divorce cases, which will take some time to complete.
Bergman Family Law is here to help individuals and families in their time of need. Contact Bergman Family Law to discuss different options and proceedings for divorce in the greater Miami area.
