The Impact of Remote Work on Divorce Rates and Settlements
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many couples have had to learn how to adjust to being together almost every waking minute and working in the same location. Although this may have seemed ideal to some, many quickly found out that being together too much caused their marriages distress.
Has remote work caused more divorces?
Many divorce lawyers are aware of the trends regarding divorce rates. External factors, even the season, can cause an uptick in people filing for divorce. Specifically, divorce rates tend to rise around March and again around September. While there may be many reasons behind increasing divorce rates, these periods can cause a spike because of unmet expectations. People tend to think that having the opportunity to spend more time with their spouse around the holidays will help them reconnect, only to end up feeling irritated and defeated because they learn that their situation may never change. As a result, they get their finances together and choose to file in March, after the holidays or in September, following summer vacations.
The rise in remote work means that many couples are spending more time together all year long. Like the holidays, this increase may have led to more strain on relationships. While pursuing a divorce became harder during the pandemic, people made more divorce inquiries and purchased more divorce agreement templates during this time.
Remote work survey from 2020 is startling
Back in 2020, a survey was given to over 1,500 young Americans between the ages of 16 and 35. The survey asked them whether they thought working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to more divorces, and over 45 percent of these individuals answered “yes.” Another survey was given to nearly 3,000 people around the same age regarding their relationships with their spouses or partners. Around 32 percent of these individuals stated that their marriages and relationships had become worse since having to spend more time at home with their spouses and partners.
Many people returned to work four years later and survived the remote work landscape with their spouses. Others are still choosing to work from home at least a few days each week. In some relationships, this arrangement is causing ongoing conflict. The founder and executive coach of Dating Transformation explains in a recent article that “If you live with that person and you’re both working from home, you’re essentially coworkers and not giving the kind of space that’s needed.” He also stated, “You could already be sick of each other by 6 p.m.,” which is when it is time to actually unwind and spend time together.
Why would remote work cause couples in San Antonio to get divorced?
There are many reasons why working remotely in the same area or household may cause couples to get divorced, including:
- Working from home means couples are spending large amounts of time together in a small or close environment.
- Habits that were easy to ignore when couples were not together all the time become more noticeable.
- They may have two different types of work-related tasks that do not mesh well together. For example, if one person writes content for social media and the other answers calls for a sales company, it could make it difficult for the person who writes to focus and concentrate.
- Some individuals do not know when to stop working or call it quits for the day – especially when their work and home lives become merged. This can cause issues when one spouse is trying to relax for the evening, and the other continues typing loudly on their keyboard or talking on the phone to their manager.
- Couples may feel like they spend a lot of time together throughout the day and, therefore, may feel no need to make specific time for one another, leading to a disconnect.
How can remote work make spousal support, child custody, and asset division more challenging?
Even though divorce among couples who work remotely is similar to divorce among couples who work in the office, there are some challenges that may arise.
Child custody
Some parents who work from home may have more time to spend with their children. For instance, without a commute, they are available for the children more often and may want their parenting plan to include more visitation time or custody. On the other hand, if a person is a remote worker, their spouse may assume they are at home all the time and able to watch the kids more often. However, many remote workers still have an eight-hour schedule and are unable to properly supervise small children. Such misconceptions can cause more conflict between parents, modifications to parenting plans, childcare disagreements, and even a lack of boundaries.
Determining support
Although most remote workers earn a salary, making spousal and child support calculations the same as they would be for any other employee, more than a quarter of those working remotely are freelancers. Remote work has also allowed many full-time employees to take on contract work on the side. Freelancers and members of the gig economy may not earn a regular wage, and as a result, their income will fluctuate from month to month. This arrangement can make calculating child or spousal support more difficult.
Even with these added complications, there are ways to reach a reasonable outcome in a divorce. Remote work will be one of many factors that your lawyer will consider and discuss with you regarding your case.
If you are a remote worker entering the divorce process, or splitting up from a remote working spouse, please reach out to a San Antonio divorce lawyer for support. At Grable Grimshaw, PLLC, our team understands the difficulties of remote work and its impact on divorce cases. If you work with our team, you can have peace of mind knowing that we are dedicated to advocating for your rights. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule a consultation in San Antonio today.