The decision to end a marriage can be a difficult one. However, there may be a few situations that could lead people in Arizona to conclude that divorce is the best option.
For example, if a spouse is an alcoholic or drug addict and will not get treatment, a person may conclude that it is no longer possible to continue in the marriage despite still loving the spouse. A person might reach this conclusion after a spouse has had yet another run-in with law enforcement and promised to get treatment. However, the spouse may have a pattern of entering treatment and then relapsing.
Some people try to keep a marriage together for the sake of the children. They do not want to disrupt their children’s lives with a divorce. However, a bad relationship in which the parents are fighting constantly can be stressful for children and may set a poor example. Children notice tension in the household, and if parents are unable to hide their conflict, divorce may be the best option. In some cases, this conflict may rise to the point of physical, emotional or verbal abuse. Sometimes, the severity of this abuse only becomes apparent to a parent when the abuse is turned toward the children. At this point, that parent might decide that a divorce is necessary.
There may be more difficult and emotional decisions ahead once the decision to divorce has been made. If the couple can negotiate property division and child custody, they might be happier with the outcome than they would be if they went through litigation. However, if there is abuse or addiction in the marriage, negotiation may not be possible. Arizona is a community property state, so during property division, the court might split marital assets evenly, although it does have some discretion.