'Falling out of love' is bigger reason for divorce than infidelity

A research has reported that extramarital affairs are no longer the main reason for divorce, suggesting that unfaithful celebrities have made infidelity more acceptable

A research has reported that extramarital affairs are no longer the main reason for divorce, suggesting that unfaithful celebrities have made infidelity more acceptable.

Consultancy firm The Grant Thornton questioned 101 leading family lawyers and found that "growing apart" or "falling out of love" has become increasingly common and was the leading reason for marital breakdown, cited by 27 pc of lawyers in the survey.

u00a0

Other causes of marital breakdown listed in the study included one partner having a "mid-life crisis", emotional or physical abuse, "unreasonable behaviour" and financial worries.

Louisa Plumb, from Grant Thornton UK LLP, the financial and business advisors, suggested that the changing pattern could be attributed to celebrity couples who remained together despite one partner's infidelity.

"We are seeing an increasing number of 'celebrities' putting up with alleged affairs in their marriage or relationship - with Abbey Clancy staying with Peter Crouch, and Cheryl Cole looking all set to go back to Ashley," the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

"It may be that this is starting to have an effect on the behaviour of couples affected by extra-marital affairs, with more marriages than before surviving a bout of infidelity," she added.