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People in Louisiana generally like to think that they think and act of their own accord and not because of outside influence. While this might be true in some cases, a person’s friends and family can have a significant impact on their behavior when it comes to family law. Simply knowing someone who has divorced puts an individual at a higher risk for pursuing the process for themselves.

Recent studies suggest that divorce is actually contagious, easily spreading through groups of friends and even families. One study showed that the chance of filing for divorce rose 75 percent when an individual’s close friend ended his or her marriage. For those who have multiple friends who are divorced, the chance of ending a marriage shoots up 147 percent. Friends are not the only influencers though, as siblings boost the chance of divorce by 22 percent, and coworkers increase that risk by 50 percent.

However, experts caution that otherwise happily married couples do not have to worry that their marriage will deteriorate after a friend’s divorce. Instead, couples who are already unhappy and more likely to see divorce as a solution to their problems may be most affected by separations within their network. Having a friend who goes through a divorce can give some people the confidence to pursue their choice to end an unhappy marriage.

No matter the reason a couple decides to end their marriage, doing so can be an emotionally turbulent time. Couples must address a number of different issues, including property division, alimony and potentially child support. Although this can seem overwhelming at first, the guidance of an attorney who is experienced in Louisiana family law can usually help the process go much more smoothly.