Divorce is common, so why do we still talk of 'failed' marriages?

Roughly a third of marriages end in divorce, yet the language around separation still frames it as a failure.

Researchers who study relationships argue the framing is unhelpful, treating duration as the only measure of a marriage's worth.

People who separate often report that the language compounds an already difficult period, adding shame to grief.

A growing number of counsellors encourage describing marriages as ending rather than failing, particularly where children are involved.