In late January we discussed research that sought to determine if the economy has an influence on the divorce rate. The researchers found that in bad economies, the divorce rate seems to go down. Some commentators say that money issues generally seem to be a root cause of many divorces and the recent study of the drop in divorces in a bad economy seems confusing in that respect. But, then some suggest that when the economy tanks, people often wait for more affordable days before filing for divorce.
When news breaks in California of a celebrity divorce, many tabloids seem to report suspicions of infidelity as paparazzi capture images of alleged incidents that make for fodder to attract readers. So, what is more likely the cause of a breakup—money or infidelity?
A recent survey sponsored by a bank suggests that money is more often the cause of stress in a marriage. Our Oakland readers are cautioned that the survey was conducted by a financial institution, and that bank is located in Canada. But, the survey revealed that participants were more likely to divorce over money than an affair.
A majority of respondents still indicated that either issue could lead to divorce—68 percent of the respondents answered money issues would be likely to lead to divorce, while 60 percent agreed that infidelity would result in divorce. Disagreement over family issues fell far behind, with 36 percent of participants in the survey pointing to those types of disputes as being likely to lead to divorce.
Many states, like California, are no-fault divorce states. Commentators and researchers may look for causes of a breakdown in marriages or correlations to external factors that may explain divorce in general. What may be more important for people to consider when a marriage breaks down involves what steps should be taken to move forward.
A divorce ends a marriage. Couples divide marital assets, possibly resolve child custody issues (when children are involved) and other issues that are governed by family law rules. An Oakland area resident seeking a divorce should consider speaking with a family law attorney for assistance in navigating the rules of family court.
Source: Huffington Post, “Easier For Couples To Forgive Cheating Than Money Problems: BMO Survey,” By Linda Nguyen-The Canadian Press, Feb. 12, 2014