A new study found that if your friends are splitting up, it will most likely happen to you. Taking the plunge into marriage is often a decision influenced by family and friends. It now also appears the choice to end marriage is strongly based on influence as well.

The study followed 12,000 people in Framingham, Massachusetts since 1948. According to new study from Brown University, knowing a friend, family member, or co-worker is getting divorced increases your risk of divorce by 75 percent. Even the divorce of a friend of a friend increases the chance by 33 percent.

Marriage therapist Sandra Kacher says divorce, as common as it is these days, can almost be like weight loss, smoking or even being happy. The more you see others close to you do it, the higher the possibility you could follow.

The strongest influence appears to be friends. The likelihood of divorce increases 147 percent when someone close to you makes the decision.

But Susan Zimmerman, who divorced after 10 years of marriage, understands how the break-up of another marriage can be contagious. "Any time something is happening with a good friend, and if you're listening and thinki