Infidelity, an absence of dialogue and a lack of patience are the main reasons behind marital disputes, according to statistics released by the Department of Family Guidance at Sharjah Sharia courts.
The department last year received 2,557 cases regarding family and children’s issues, with compromise being reached in many cases, said Ahmed Aqeel, head of the department.
The department has five family counsellors who are experienced in mediating family quarrels and help to keep those cases from court, he said.
Sheikha Ahmed Al Maabar, a family counsellor at the department, said that the most common problems involved infidelity, relatives interfering in the relationship and an ignorance of the rights and responsibilities of each party.
She said that a common issue was the tendency of the brides’ relatives to demand high dowries and requirements for marriage, which caused husbands to live in debt from the start of their family lives.
She said a recent phenomenon was “divorce before consummation”, because of family disputes. Girls and boys, often at a young age, are saddled with the label “divorced”, which can affect their lives, especially the girls.
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