For the purposes of this entry, we have defined romantic partners or spouses as people in a committed relationship; they may be married or not, living together or separately. As in any partnership, individual needs and wants will have to be balanced with what's best for the relationship as a whole. Careers, children, finances, and lifestyle choices can also create grounds for complications.

Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.

A couple who is deeply in love, with each person dedicated to serving the needs of the other
A loving couple who aren't making each other top priority due to outside circumstances or a temporary stage of life (financial difficulties requiring one person to work long hours, a special needs child needing a lot of attention, etc.)
One partner being more committed to the relationship than the other party
A partnership consisting of one party who was cheated on in the past and has a hard time trusting
A longtime couple whose hobbies and interests have changed over time, leaving them with little in common
A couple who are married in name only, having little to no intimacy, trust, or relationship
Struggling partners who are staying together for reasons other than love (to keep from hurting the kids, because they believe divorce is wrong, because it's financially prudent, etc.)
An open relationship with third parties being brought into the fold
An abusive partnership

A partner or spouse having an affair
One person being offered a job that will impact the couple's home life (a move, erratic hours, less pay, etc.)
The couple finding out they're pregnant
A spouse being fired
Someone being arrested or sued
One person's hidden secret being discovered (a sexual or gender orientation, a past crime, etc.)
Either party developing an addiction or mental health challenge
A love-child from a former relationship knocking on their door
One person working too much
The relationship becoming a long-distance one due to work or family needs
An ex coming back into the picture
One or both people suffering a traumatic event (an accident, natural disaster, victimization, etc.)
One partner developing intense interest in something that the other partner doesn't like
The couple disagreeing on how to best raise their child
Discovering one's partner or spouse has another family
The couple experiencing infertility, a miscarriage, or the loss of a child
One party comparing the relationship to others and becoming dissatisfied (with their financial status, where they live, how they interact, etc.)