Photo of Kenneth L. Gibson Jr.
Photo of Kenneth L. Gibson Jr.
Photo of Kenneth L. Gibson Jr.

Study shows some money matters less important in marriage

On Behalf of | Jul 29, 2016 | collaborative law | 0 comments

A recent study sought to find out whether the financial roles of men and women in marriages were related to higher or lower chances for divorce. The study found that some factors did increase a risk of divorce while others didn’t seem to have an impact at all.

Authored by a professor from Harvard, the study compared a variety of factors for thousands of couples married between 1968 and 2013. Researchers also compared the data from marriages before 1974 to those after it, noting an assumption that couples married before 1974 would likely have more traditional ideas about gender roles in a marriage.

According to the research, for couples before 1974, how much of the total housework share was handled by the wife could be tied statistically to risks of divorce. The study noted that for these marriages, when a wife did at least 75 percent of the housework, the divorce risk was less than for couples where the wife handled 50 percent or less of the work.

For the group that was married in later years, the researchers were able to make a connection between the man’s work status and a divorce rate. Divorce risks increased slightly when the man didn’t work full-time as a deliberate choice. Loss of job or only being able to find work part-time didn’t count as a deliberate choice.

The researchers concluded that, while women in the newer group seemed to have more freedoms in working in or outside of the home, some traditional gender expectations were still present in many marriages. While every marriage is unique, if you are going to be successful with a collaborative divorce, understanding why your marriage isn’t working can be helpful. Regardless of why you feel you should get divorced, though, working with a collaborative law professional can help you work through your divorce in the most productive way possible.

Source: Live Science, “Unequal Division of Labor in Marriage Ups Risk of Divorce,” Cari Nierenberg, July 28, 2016

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Photo of Kenneth L. Gibson Jr.