London - They are the butt of many a joke. But a mother-in-law’s impact on a marriage may be no laughing matter.
Nearly four out of 10 of all divorcees say the decision to end their marriage was influenced by their mother, according to a report.
Divorces where a mother or another family member has contrived the separation are now so common lawyers have a phrase to describe them – the Cheryl Syndrome.
The name refers to pop singer Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (born Cheryl Tweedy, and known as Cheryl Cole during her marriage), whose 2010 divorce from footballer Ashley Cole came after her mother moved into the mansion the couple shared.
Ashley is said to have spent much of his time subsequently in the games room of the house to avoid his in-law.
The report, based on research commissioned by family law firm Slater and Gordon, found that 63 percent of divorcees say their decision to part was influenced by their families.
Other relations likely to be prominent in the build-up to a divorce are brothers and sisters, cited by one in 10 divorcees as an influence on their decision to end a marriage.
Only six in 100 said it was their children who pushed them into separation. Overall 38 percent of divorcees said a mother was the most influential figure in prompting the break-up.
The figures, produced by a poll of 2 007 divorcees carried out by Censuswide, found that two out of three of the divorcees who were advised by mothers, sisters or brothers were glad their family intervened because they thought their marriage was on the rocks and they needed a push to end it.
More than four out of 10, 44 percent, said they never got on with their spouse’s family. One in four said there had been times when their in-laws entirely ignored them.
Slater and Gordon divorce lawyer Amanda McAlister said: “Early on in a relationship it is easier to ignore the opinions of those close to you but as time goes by this shows that couples who are finding marriage tough can often realise that mom was right about the problems in the relationship after all.” - Daily Mail