Before seeking the advice of a divorce lawyer in Pasadena, it's a good idea to make sure you're fully committed to ending your marriage. Many people rush into filing for divorce without thinking through the decision and later change their minds. This wastes both time and money for everyone involved.
The most obvious reasons for divorce are domestic violence and child abuse. Other serious issues that might be signs it's time to end your marriage include mental illness, alcoholism, gambling addiction, or drug abuse. These are problems that can create tremendous stress in a marriage, especially if the person struggling refuses to seek the necessary treatment.
Infidelity can be a deal breaker in many marriages, although some couples do manage to recover from this with the help of counseling. There are so many different circumstances surrounding adultery that it's hard to give "one-size-fits-all" advice for this situation.
Sometimes, divorce occurs when one partner is simply unhappy in the marriage. People grow and change over time, so a couple that was perfectly compatible when they first married may find they have little in common 10 or 20 years later. It may be time to move on, but it requires a lot of soul searching to determine if divorcing will make you happier or if you're using the thought of divorce to avoid addressing other problematic areas of your life. This is another good example of a time when couples find that counseling is helpful. An experienced counselor can even help you and your spouse work towards negotiating an amicable divorce settlement, if you do eventually decide divorce is the best option.
When you're not entirely certain that you are ready for a divorce, filing for legal separation might be an alternative to consider. Legal separation agreements address many of the issues involved in filing for divorce, but still allow for the possibility of reconciliation at a later date. An experienced Pasadena divorce attorney can provide assistance with drafting an appropriate legal separation agreement.