Infidelity In The Family

Infidelity, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the act or fact of having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than one’s husband, wife or partner (Merriam-Webster). It is estimated that thirty to sixty percent of all married individuals in the United States will engage in infidelity at some point during their marriage("Truth About Deception."). The infidelity rate is a growing number in the United States and more often than not a couple will experience betrayal. Staying together after discovering infidelity rather than getting a divorce is more beneficial financially for the family, emotionally for you as well as your children and socially for both your friends and family.

It’s no secret that getting a divorce will

This figure includes total attorney’s fees, court costs, and other costs such as hiring a real estate appraiser, tax advisor, child custody evaluator, or another expert. Most of our consumers reported paying a total of around $15,500 for their divorces” (How Much Will...). “Most American families believe that a family of four would need at least $58,000 per year to “get by” in their communities. That’s several thousand dollars more than the median income of the average household in the United States, which comes in at about $52,000 a year, and more than double the current federal poverty level for a family of four ($24,000)” (Person). These numbers are based on what American families say they would be able to survive on and while some families can afford a divorce, other families cannot. For example a family living in poverty that has a yearly income of about $24,000 would have a very difficult time affording a divorce, as

“Divorce introduces a massive change into the life of a boy or girl no matter what the age. Witnessing loss of love between parents, having parents break their marriage commitment, adjusting to going back and forth between two different households, and the daily absence of one parent while living with the other, all create a challenging new family circumstance in which to live. In the personal history of the boy or girl, parental divorce is a watershed event. Life that follows is significantly changed from how life was before.” ("The Impact of...) The effects on a child could be short term or long term depending on the child’s age, maturity, gender and psychological status. “Some effects of divorce emerge rapidly following sepa­ration and some of these increase over the first years following divorce and then decline; still other may emerge later.” (Espejo) Short term effects can include, bad behavior either at home or at school, depression, anger, low self-esteem or a decline in academics. “Various factors lead to negative effects on children. For example, children are almost inevitably burdened by greater responsibilities and feel less cared for. It is possible that when a marriage ends, especially if it ends in angry conflict, parents can experience a decline in their deep feelings for their children and the extent to which they voluntarily undertake responsibilities for the children.” ("The Impact of...).