Divorce more to do with bad communication, lack of time than sex

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NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Communication problems, infidelity and spouses not spending enough time together are the major reasons for divorce, a survey of U.S. counselors found.

The survey by the relationship website YourTango.com -- which provides content on love and relationships -- found 58 percent said a divorcee's chances of getting divorced were higher than those for someone who has never been married; 80 percent said a bride's pre-wedding doubts were a harbinger of divorce; and 86 percent of experts agree prenuptial agreements have no predictable impact on a couple's likelihood to divorce.

Sixty-five percent of experts agreed the most effective way to avoid divorce is to improve communication. A smaller percentage said decreasing negativity/criticism was key to avoiding a breakup and only about 4 percent said more or better sex would do the trick.

Eighty percent of experts agreed couples who attend premarital education/counseling were less likely to get divorced than couples who skipped premarital counseling, the survey indicated.

In addition, 65 percent of the experts said 25 percent to 50 percent of married couples who attend couples therapy ended up getting divorced, while 76 percent said most of the time one person -- not both -- wanted the divorce and 57 percent of experts said fewer than 25 percent of divorces were amicable.

"Given a divorced woman and a divorced man, 75 percent of our experts agree a man will get remarried first," Andrea Miller, chief executive officer of YourTango, said in a statement. "This corroborates considerable research and anecdotal evidence that men are more emotionally dependent in a marriage and can benefit significantly by being proactive before saying 'I do.'"

No methodology details on the survey were provided.