New Study Challenges the Age Old Theory That Communication Skills Translate to Marital Satisfaction

Communication is one of the most common reasons cited by spouses when asked about why they’re considering divorce. When there’s a major communication barrier, there’s a greater chance that you’re thinking about ending the marriage and moving on. If that’s the case, meeting with a Coral Gables divorce attorney may be the right step for you.

Plenty of research studies have explored just how important communication, along with other aspects like trust, contribute to a healthy relationship and a healthy marriage.

A new research study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family challenges that long held hypothesis, however.

The research project was managed by the University of Georgia and the project identified that although satisfaction and communication were often linked for successful and happy married couples, it wasn’t always a strong enough connection to show a partner’s satisfaction with his or her relationship over time.

In this study, more than 400 low-income recently-married couples in Los Angeles participated in a project over the course of three years, during which time they were assessed four times by the project managers.

At each meeting, participants accomplished three different tasks in order to measure communication and then fill out a general report about their satisfaction in their marriage. The communication tasks were designed to determine whether or not the couple used effective, negative or positive communication while accomplishing these tasks.

Survey Says: Higher Satisfaction Levels and Communication

The correlational findings in general were strong, indicating that the more satisfied you are with your relationship, the better you communicated with your spouse.

However, the research study project managers did not identify strong causality between good communication causing marital satisfaction.

Communication is commonly one of the biggest breakdowns within a marriage, leading couples to seek out additional support systems. This can further lead to a lack of trust between both parties and lead to arguments and growing apart.

If you begin to feel that you and your spouse are growing apart, communication breakdowns are often the most common way to notice this rift.

It might be that you and your spouse have nothing in common to talk about anymore. Perhaps most of your conversations turn into arguments quickly.

Whatever the case, communication problems can make it seem like you’re no longer on the same page. It’s no surprise that many couples contemplating divorce feel as though there’s a wall between them.

Handling Communication Breakdowns

Although communication breakdowns can be addressed if both parties are committed to making the marriage stronger, it takes both parties working together to accomplish this goal.

If you have made your best effort but don’t see the changes, you might be struggling with your decision to end the marriage.

Rest assured that few people who make the decision to get divorced find it to be an easy one. That being said, you may benefit from setting up a meeting with a divorce attorney in Miami to consider all the relevant issues.

Many parents, for example, are concerned with issues like child custody or child support.

Florida law dictates how these issues are handled in court, and having a better understanding of this process can benefit you as well as your children.

If the situation has escalated and you cannot agree on anything related to the divorce, you need a lawyer who is passionate about representing you and your interests in court.

Divorce often means emotional challenges for all involved, but these feelings can be amplified if you and your former spouse are unable to have a civil conversation about anything. Being able to rely on a caring attorney can make a big difference in these situations.

Next Steps if You’re Thinking About Divorce

If you believe that communication has been a serious enough problem in your marriage to warrant considering separation or divorce, you should never move forward with filing for divorce or separating from your spouse without consulting with a Miami divorce attorney.

A Miami divorce attorney, for example, can help walk you through how temporary orders as it relates to child custody, for example, could impact you.

Having all of the facts can help you make the best possible decision when you are contemplating divorce.

Abuse situations are another marital dynamic that can make communication impossible. Learn more about handling those situations by reading this blog: http://www.acarolanlaw.com/what-you-shoulabusive-spouse/

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