Signs of impending divorce: here are a few

A marriage counselor writing for the Huffington Post recently detailed some of the behaviors common among couples she recognizes as being caught in relationships that can no longer be fixed. The telltale signs of impending divorce are apparently not terribly difficult for an experienced counselor to spot, though pretty close to impossible to repair and heal.

The counselor did note that if a couple can reach agreement to attend counseling, that is itself a sign that their marriage might not be irredeemable.

So let’s take a look at some of hard-to-miss signs that a marriage is headed for divorce, even though the husband and wife are sitting in a counselor’s office:

• Contempt: when the two halves of the couple have difficulty expressing anything but contempt for each other, it means the relationship could well be headed for a permanent split. Their exchanges are filled with insults, recriminations and descriptions of how low their opinion is of their partner.

  When people bring out the bad in each other, and no longer the good, it might be time to say “goodbye.”

• Chaos: for people who were raised in dysfunctional homes, they sometimes retreat into chaos because it is a familiar family setting. When both partners come from chaotic homes, they will often bring destructive behaviors to their marriage.

  In some situations, spouses can learn new, healthier behaviors that allow their home to become a safe harbor. In other situations, it’s best to undo a relationship toxic for both people.

The article describes a number of other interesting scenarios as well. For those couples who have reached the end of their road together, a conversation with a family law attorney can help them sort out important child custody and property division issues.