VICTORIA -- Divorce rates have been skyrocketing as a result of the global pandemic, according to a B.C. group that helps couples untie the knot.
"This has been a really tough time for a lot of couples," said Cindy Stibbard, a divorce coach with Divorce ReDefined.
"If their marriages were suffering prior to the pandemic, this close-knit environment has really brought those issues to the forefront," she said.
According to Stibbard, divorce rates are up about 30 per cent globally.
She says numbers were high in the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis, but leveled off as couples contemplated their future.
"January is typically known in the field of family law as divorce month," said Stibbard.
"I can attest to having double the amount of reach-outs during this month alone – of people inquiring about the process of what I do, and how I can support them through it," she said.
As lockdowns, quarantines, and working from home continues to push couples to their limits, there are some things to consider before calling it quits.
"Have you done the work to figure out if you can rebuild your marriage? Or is there anything left to salvage?" said Stibbard.
"And if you haven’t done the work, my first recommendation is do that therapy, do that work together because I never want an individual or a couple to regret that decision after we’ve decided to go down the path of divorce," she said.
If you have already made up your mind, Stibbard says a divorce coach can offer support and referrals for experts like financial advisors, therapists and parenting coordinators – with an ultimate goal of reaching the most amicable resolution.
