To think most people wouldn’t “stay and work through it” if they weren’t financially trapped?

[YourJadeLion]

We praise resilience in relationships that are clearly dysfunctional. Remove the money and see how fast people leave.

For sure. Who can have a decent quality of life these days with just one income living in a one or two bed flat these days, renting privately, knowing all those bills are on you? A few but not many people.

My parents divorce was horrible. I wish they could have stayed together (no abuse). That's why I stay with my DH. Without children I would have left him. So not only financial concerns are valid reason to "work things out".

Works the other way too.

I have a male friend, high earner, with one kid. His marriage is effectively dead, he doesn’t love her. The only reason he stays is that he wants his daughter to grow up in the nice family home and go to the small school at the end of the road. He’s pretty much told me that as soon as his daughter moves on to university or similar he’ll be leaving. She’s 6 years old.