Increase in Divorce Cases Since the Pandemic and How Vaccines for Children Cause Disagreement

Heading into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic if you talk most attorneys who handle family law cases you will hear those attorneys have seen a large increase in the amount of divorce cases they handle.

The pandemic created a situation in which many parents worked in a way that they have never done before, together at home.  Although children are back to in person learning in school, most children spent some time doing remote learning from home.  Parents had to do their jobs and also become teachers, lunch aides, and make a decision about vaccines.

The home became the office, school, playground, gym, and lunchroom.  For some families this was a great opportunity for closeness, more time together and the realization of how important time with family is.  But for other families all the new responsibilities and activities that had to happen in the home created even more work for parents, no private time, no space and tensions.

When vaccines became available for children some parents quickly realized that they had vastly different positions on the Covid-19 vaccine. Being on different spectrums regarding a vaccine makes it extremely difficulty, and probably impossible, for parents to reach a compromise on such a decision.  Some parents don’t believe in the vaccine because of religious reasons.  Other parents say because of the short time the vaccine has been out and not much data, they don’t want their kids to be guinea pigs for this new vaccine.  And then there are other parents who say the government shouldn’t be making anyone get a vaccine.  Such a disagreement combined with other stressors and changes was just too much on some marriages.  Additionally, just last week data was released regarding the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine ages 5-11 years old.  Data shows the Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine approved for children in that age range, provided virtually no protection against infection but did still prevent severe illness.[1] Such data is not likely to be helpful to parents who are already hesitant about vaccinating their children.

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, conducted a survey of its members. Of the 257 surveyed, 63% claimed they saw an increase in divorce cases since the start of the pandemic. [2] The pandemic has had an emotional impact on everyone. But when a marriage is at a breaking point frequently the things that parents didn’t agree on during the marriage become more polarized during a divorce. [3]

Divorce is never easy but it’s always important to keep the best interest of the minor children at the forefront.  It also important to try to co-parent and communicate with the children’s best interest in mind.  Marriages sometimes end but parenting doesn’t.  Co-parenting in most situations doesn’t end until the child(ren) attain the age of 18.  And frequently it doesn’t even end then.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/health/pfizer-vaccine-kids.html; https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7109e3.htm

[2] https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/divorce-rates-rise-amid-vaccination/69-8f0daed7-c1b7-455b-99b3-212a1eafd270

[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/21/covid-has-put-pressures-and-strains-on-relationships.html