Infidelity in relation to divorce

The relationship between infidelity and divorce is undeniable, with nearly a quarter of all divorces directly related to it (Fincham 2003). However, the extent to which infidelity contributes to the origins of marital breakdown that finalise in divorce is a much more complex notion to address. There is no single factor that has been identified that results in divorce­­- only an amalgamation of reasons that contribute to an overall sense of marital breakdown failure (Clarke and Berrington 1999; Glezer 1994; Kurdek 1993; Karney and Bradbury 1995; Ono 1998; Olson and Larson 1989; White 1990). Therefore infidelity alone cannot be singled out as a reason that consistently leads to divorce. There are as many complex reasons for infidelity as there are for divorce but they do not necessarily mirror one another.

There are different varieties of infidelity; the two main areas of discussion are sexual and emotional infidelity in a monogamous relationship. Some distinction should be drawn between adultery and infidelity. Adultery concerns the religious and legal aspects of marriage. Infidelity is a secret relationship outside the primary relationship involving lies to avoid a partner’s anticipated objection. Although sexual infidelity is the most common, many spouses complain of emotional infidelity which involves flirtation or furtive sexual innuendo, but no intercourse.
Although in today’s western society is in increasingly difficult to define infidelity, it is relatively uncomplicated to outline what marriage and divorce both signify to us. One is the legal binding of two people typically within a religious context and the other is the legal means by which you break this contract. The five basic grounds for divorce are the same throughout the UK: adultery, unreasonable behaviour desertion, the parties to the marriage have lived apart for at least two years and both consent to the divorce, the parties have lived apart for at least five years.

The first three grounds are ‘faults’ that can be committed by one spouse against the other, allowing the ‘innocent’ spouse to apply for a divorce. The last two statements are ‘no-fault’
The relationship between infidelity and divorce can be seen in the statistics – with between 20-25% of all divorces being explained through its occurrence. However there are a huge variety of other factors that can accompany this factor in contributing to a final marital break up. Divorce has been shown to result from a wide range of causes (Amato and Rodgers 1997; Burns 1984; Cleek and Pearson 1985; Gigy and Kelly 1992; Gottman 1994; Kitson et al.1985; Karney and Bradbury 1997; Wolcott 1984), and in some research infidelity is shown to be as low as seventh in the rank of grounds for the dissolution of the relationship (Kitson Sussman, 1982). Infidelity within marriage may take place as a consequence of one or more of these issues, and consequently will show the extent to which infidelity is or is not directly related to divorce.


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