The coronavirus sweeping across the United States has claimed lives and jobs, and now marriages appear to be the latest casualty of the global pandemic.
A new report claims that divorce filings in the epicenter of New York are “skyrocketing” as married couples are clashing while forced to stay home together in quarantine, often under the weight of financial stress from lost jobs. As Page Six reported, top divorce attorneys say there has been a 50 percent rise in inquiries for divorce filings.
As the report noted, the problem has been particularly acute in Manhattan and among wealthier couples, who see the major market downturn as the perfect time to divorce with fewer financial ramifications.
“According to leading Manhattan family-law experts, some couples forced to spend time together while quarantined in cramped apartments or even in palatial pads haven’t fared well during the coronavirus outbreak,” the report noted.
“Making matters worse, dramatic sways in the financial markets will further spur a wave of wealthy divorces, because richer spouses may decide they want out while their net worth dips — potentially helping them avoid larger settlements, legal experts say.”
Melissa Thoen, a relationship therapist in New York City, told the news outlet that many couples are feeling stressed and overwhelmed from fear of the COVID-19 pandemic and being forced to stay inside. The New York area has been the hardest hit, with more than half of all coronavirus cases in the United States being there. On Tuesday, officials recommended that anyone who had been in New York in recent weeks to self-quarantine for at least 14 days while watching for symptoms of the virus.
The rise in divorce rates in the New York area follows a pattern already seen in other hard-hit areas. As The Inquisitr reported, officials in China also reported a major rise in divorce filings as some of the most stringent quarantines were eased and couples were able to come out of their homes for the first time in weeks. As The Daily Mail reported, officials in China also said that couples were struggling to deal with the stress of being quarantined together.
“The divorce rate [in the district] has soared compared to before [the coronavirus outbreak],” said Lu Shijun, the manager of a marriage registry in Dazhou, a province in one of the hardest-hit areas of China. “Young people are spending a lot of time at home. They tend to get into heated arguments because of something petty and rush into getting a divorce.”