One fifth of those asked said they feel ‘trapped’ by their marriage
A poll of 2,000 married people showed that a quarter are no longer ‘in love’ with their partner, with some wishing they had married someone else altogether and some having considered ending their marriage or spending time apart.
One fifth of those asked said they feel ‘trapped’ by their marriage but would only divorce if they were guaranteed financial security.
The reasons given by those unhappy in their marriages differed between men and women.
"there is still a prevailing attitude in society that you should stay together no matter how unhappy you are"
On the whole, men blamed a poor sex life, while women said there is ‘too little fun’ and ‘too much worry over money’.
One third of the women studied in the research commissioned by Lawyers Slater & Gordon had considered ending their marriage.
Women were most likely to give the reason of being unable to cope financially as their biggest reason for not separating, while men were most worried about the impact it would have on the family.
A family law expert from the company said she thought that ‘there is still a prevailing attitude in society that you should stay together no matter how unhappy you are.’