Have you noticed your partner criticizing you more often, refusing to talk about issues important to you, getting defensive, or speaking with contempt? If these behaviors are occurring more often than positive behaviors in your relationship, you may be in a declining stage, when the relationship begins to come apart (Gottman & Silver, 1999). Three factors typically lead to this stage: uncertainty events, interference (concerning family, work, timing, money, or the like), and unmet expectations.