Is infidelity a reason for military divorces?

Military families face unique pressures. There’s frequent moving, long deployments and parental strains affecting the civilian spouse. However, it seems that while many might believe infidelity is an issue among military families, it turns out cheating is no more prevalent among military families than it is civilian families.

Recently, these stressors — and the topic of infidelity — were highlighted when news of Gen. David Petraeus’ extramarital affair broke. Many wondered if cheating was a typical concern and frequent reason for divorce among military families.

Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, who is the director of the Military Family Research Institute, is quick to point out that while Petraeus’ affair is making national headlines, infidelity is no more of concern in military marriages than civilian marriages. And while it’s hard to find solid numbers in terms of military infidelity, the military divorce rate is very similar to the average U.S. divorce rate.

However, there still are unique challenges that military families face. One of those is frequent moves. Moving a lot makes it harder for a civilian spouse to maintain a career.

Additionally, deployments can be hard as being a parent can feel more like being a single parent. During this time apart it can also be difficult as communication can be limited.

In addition to military families facing unique challenges when it comes to marriage, when it comes to divorce those families are also in unique situations. For example, deployments can end up affecting court hearings, as well as creating visitation schedules and establishing custody.

These unique challenges are why it’s very important to have legal representation that has experience handling military divorce issues.

Source: Patch.com, “Rockville Soldier Says Infidelity Not Among Top Worries of Military Families,” Anna Weaver, Nov. 18, 2012