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The Five Most Common Irreconcilable Differences

Irreconcilable Differences is the single most cited reason for divorces in the United States. They are defined as “an inability for two parties to resolve their differences in order to save their marriage” by legaldictionary.net. But really, it often just means my spouse and I no longer get along.

With that in mind we decided we would write a blog listing the most 5 common causes of irreconcilable differences. May of these are probably what you would guess but maybe one or two may surprise you.

Finances

The number one reason for Irreconcilable Differences is financial. Each person brings their idea of how money should be managed into a relationship. They also have different priorities in life. Many times the individuals make different amounts of money and this can be a subject for tension as well. Regardless of the exact type of financial issue the couple is facing, the general topic itself is the most common reason.

Parenting

Spouses may have different ideas of how to parent or even different parenting styles. When parenting styles conflict this can cause major turmoil in the household. Disagreements over parenting, or how to parent, are often a reason for “Irreconcilable Differences” to be cited as the reason for a divorce.

Religion

This topic seems like something couples should get sorted from the day they start going together. However, religion can often cause conflict is one spouse’s beliefs change or get stronger and the other spouse is not on board. This can cause the couple to feel estranged or for one spouse to feel as if the other has changed.

Extended Family

Often, extended family members are a big part of a person’s life. This can cause problems in a relationship if the spouse does not get along with the extended family of the other spouse. Whether it be the mother-in-law or “the crazy uncle” scenario, family is often a reason for Irreconcilable Differences.

Communication

This is more of a general term but it is at the basis of most misunderstandings. If a married couple stops communicating well then this can be a recipe for failure. Even the most simple conversations can turn into a major conflict if good communication skills are not in place.

The point of this blog is to list the top reasons for Irreconcilable Differences in a divorce case. Sometimes when a  couple divorces it can be because of any one of these reasons or perhaps all five. Of course, there are other reason for Irreconcilable Differences that did not make our list.