Should You Divorce Someone Who Is Irresponsible?

First and foremost, let’s be very clear: The choice of whether or not to get divorced is entirely up to you. Every situation is unique. There is no way to say if you should or should not get divorced. You need to make the decision that is best for you, that follows what you want and need in life.

That said, people often think they need a major life event to get divorced. They assume they need to catch their spouse cheating on them, for instance, or breaking the law. But what if you don’t have that type of event? What if it’s just a string of more minor examples of poor behavior that make you want to end the marriage?

For instance, maybe your spouse is just irresponsible. They don’t seem to take things seriously. They make poor, impulsive decisions. Maybe they waste all of your money on things they don’t need or they gamble it away. You knew they didn’t look at money the same way you did even before you got married, but now it’s worse than you ever thought.

For what it’s worth, financial issues like this are one of the leading causes of divorce. You have to think of how that irresponsibility impacts you and, if you’re a parent, how it impacts your kids. Are you going to lose the house? Do you have to work two jobs? Can you not afford to buy the children the necessities they need because your spouse spent any savings you had?

When that irresponsibility becomes more than just an annoyance, you may decide to get divorced, and that’s when you need to look into your options.