Barrier Forces to relationship dissolution

Commitment and Obligations to the Marital Bond

Professing commitment to continuing the relationship is associated with greater future stability of premarital dating couples. Believing that divorce is morally wrong is also associated with greater commitment to the marriage and with staying married over longer periods of time. Conversely, past experiences with failure to uphold marital vows (either with one's own past divorce or with parental divorce) is linked to relationship instability.

Religious Beliefs

Many organized religions encourage marital union and do not support divorce. Thus, it is not surprising that the greater one's commitment to religion, the greater one's commitment is to maintaining a marriage. Those who report consistent regular participation in religious activities (such as attending church) often have lower rates of divorce than those who report no religious affiliation.

Self-Identity

Individuals in a romantic relationship are often attracted not only to each other but also to some aspects of the social roles they experience from being in the relationship. What it means to be a husband or wife can be a powerful source of pride and self-fulfillment. The more that one's sense of self-identity incorporates the relationship and the attributes of the partner, the more difficult it is to end the relationship.

Irretrievable Personal Investments

There are many ways that partners can make personal investments in their relationship. The more the two partners share their time and activities, the more they become emotionally linked together. Spending time together often generates greater positive emotional expressions and opportunities for personal self-disclosure. These kinds of intangible experiences can function as emotional investments made in the relationship that one cannot get back if the relationship were to end.

Children

Having a child is a significant barrier to marital relationship dissolution. The lowest rate of divorce is usually found during the first year after a baby is born. Conversely, couples with no children in the home have the highest divorce rate. If leaving the relationship with one's partner also entails changing or losing contact with one's children, it can be a force to keep the relationship alive. And yet having children in a relationship is by itself not a strong enough factor to prevent marital dissolution.

Legal Barriers

The legal status of a marriage can serve as a barrier to relationship dissolution. The costs associated with obtaining a divorce are often far greater than the costs of dissolving other kinds of relationships lacking a formal legal status. Interestingly, it is often found that couples who live together but who do not marry tend to break up sooner than those who live together as a married couple.

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