The first working Monday of the New Year has been nicknamed “Divorce Day” by family legal professionals, psychologists, and journalists everywhere.
Why? Because that’s when a lot of people formally throw in the towel on their marriages and call a divorce attorney.
Could your spouse be among them? A lot of unhappy spouses will quietly plan for their January move while trying to keep up a happy facade during the holidays.
How you can tell if your spouse has one foot already out the door
You can’t assume that your spouse is happy just because they’re not complaining. In fact, a total absence of complaints can actually indicate that your spouse just no longer cares about the relationship enough to argue about anything.
Here are more signals that your spouse is probably planning on leaving (or at least deeply unhappy):
- They’re utterly disinterested in where you go, what you do, or who you are with when you aren’t home. That indicates they have no real interest in you.
- They’re disinterested in physical intimacy, whether that means sex or even cuddling up together for a movie. Removing themselves from you physically can be a reflection of their growing emotional distance.
- They not only seem glad you’re not going to be home, but they also encourage it. They could just feel less internal tension when you’re around, or they could be using the time to gather up paperwork, explore their legal options and make other divorce plans.
- They’re making some major changes (and you don’t seem to be involved). They’re developing new hobbies without you, working out, changing their physical appearance, going out with their friends without notice, or focusing on a new career — and they don’t even bother to share their day with you.
- They’re getting cagey about missing personal items, their mail, and their social media. That means they may have already made plans to move out and move on.
If any of this rings a bell, you have some hard choices to make — but you don’t want to be taken off guard by a divorce request. Make sure that you fully understand your rights and how to protect your future.