AKRON, Ohio — Even in the happiest homes, quarantine is causing tensions to rise between married couples.
"We’re just living in a very stressful time that’s not like anything any of us have ever seen," attorney Adam Vanho says.
Since the pandemic began and the stay-at-home order was implemented, Vanho says he and other lawyers have seen a surge in couples filing for a divorce.
"People are starting to talk to attorneys already, saying, 'I want to file when this is all over,'" he told 3News.
Many couples are suffering from relationship stress because of job losses, which is trickling down to a lack of communication. That’s why we reached out to expert Hillary Schultz, a licensed professional clinical counselor with 18 years of experience, to guide us through love during lockup.
"I’m encouraging partners to be internal about having their own time and giving their partner time to be alone," she said.
Schults adds it’s important to show your partner support and to come together to have fun.
"Whether it be cooking together, gardening together, or playing a game together, or maybe a good old-fashioned dace party at home," she said.
Experts say you should avoid making any major life decisions during this time.
"We need to double, triple-check our decisions we make," Schultz explained. "What might feel good for the moment may not be good long term."
Vanho also mentioned that, at this time, courts are backed up that if you were thinking about filing, you will have to wait But there is an exception, and that’s for domestic violence cases. For help with those incidents, call (800) 799-SAFE (7233) or log on to thehotline.org/help.
3NEWS INVESTIGATES: Coronavirus isolation raises concerns for domestic violence survivors