For some couples in Virginia, the end to a marriage may be a long time coming. There are plenty of reasons to stay married in today's society. Perhaps it is for the kids or it has something to do with the spouses' inability to financially support them alone. Maybe it has something to do with an emotional attachment that neither wants to let go of, just in case the marriage turns around in the future.

Whatever the reason may be, divorce is a very big life decision.

For one man, his reason for staying together was multi-faceted. He and his wife have been married for 25 years. She had an affair early on during the marriage but the two decided to stay together so that they could work things out. They tried counseling and managed to get past everything but, two years ago, he caught his wife cheating on him again.

He did not divorce her at the time because of health and family reasons and the two have put on an act ever since -- for their two children, families and friends.

No one besides the two spouses knows how bad the marriage truly is and the man is finally ready to divorce his wife, partly because both of his children are in college now.

This situation is a difficult one. He knows that his wife's image is not his concern but, since the two work in the same industry in the same town, they will likely see each other in the future. His final decision -- to keep the relationship as amicable as it can be -- should come after a large amount of consideration.

When is the right time to initiate a divorce? That is one of the first questions that cross a spouse's mind when their marriage appears to be failing. What are the ramifications of a divorce? What about joint property? What about the kids? All of these are valid questions that need to be addressed.

Source: Washington Post, "Ask Amy: Dad's dilemma is with divorce and disclosure," Amy Dickinson, Feb. 2, 2012