If you ask anyone who has been through a divorce, they will tell you that it’s important to learn all you can about the process and prepare in advance. What this means is that you do not want that divorce filing to be a surprise. You want to see it on the horizon and get yourself in the best possible position for your future.

With that goal in mind, here are some red flags to look out for that could mean your marriage will end:

1. You don’t communicate well

The key to marriage is, in many ways, communication. When it breaks down or when you could never do it well in the first place, it undermines your relationships. If you feel like your partner ignores you or refuses to talk when you need to talk, it shows that the relationship could be on the rocks, even when everything else appears to be going well.

2. Your spouse struggles with addiction

Addiction is common in the United States, whether it revolves around alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, painkillers, gambling, shopping or something else entirely. The problem with an addiction is that it takes over a person’s life. They put it ahead of everything else, even unintentionally. If your spouse struggles with addiction and makes you the No. 2 in their life, the marriage may not last long.

3. Work takes up too much time

We often feel like work should be the main priority in our lives. While it is important, some people take this too far and it becomes the only thing that they think about and the only thing that they care about. If your spouse is a workaholic, you may simply never see each other or spend time together. Nothing breaks down a marriage faster than distance, even when you still live in the same house.

4. Your roles are not equal

You and your spouse can have different roles in the marriage, but an extreme level of inequality can become toxic. If you feel like you only give and give to the marriage, but your spouse never gives you anything in return, it can lead you to end the marriage and seek a more supportive relationship.

5. You keep secrets from each other

Do you ever feel like your spouse has secrets? Maybe they won’t let you use their computer. Maybe they won’t tell you who texted them when you see them using their phone. Depending on the nature of those secrets, when the truth comes out, it could end the marriage.

Your options

Every marriage is different, but this gives you some idea of the red flags you need to watch out for. If you do end up getting a divorce, you need to know what legal options you have.