Money matters are often cited as the reason for the end of marriages here in Utah and around the country. The more couples argue about financial issues, the greater the possibility of divorce. This might make sense, but is it accurate? One study claims that it is not necessarily money that leads to divorce, but it is a couple’s division of labor that is a greater predictor.
In every marriage, there are multitudes of tasks that need to be performed in order to run the household. Some of that work is paid, and some is not. It is the division of paid versus unpaid tasks that the study says is the true indicator of whether a couple will divorce.
Approximately 6,300 couples were part of the study, and the participants ranged in age from 18 to 55. Researchers analyzed the couple’s financial resources, the wife’s economic prospects and the division of labor. For couples who were married after 1974, the man’s ability to obtain full-time employment was a deciding factor in the stability of the marriage. However, women who made career advancements could temper that instability. Women were free to break stereotypical roles when it comes to paid work, but men appear to still be bound by them.
Numerous studies profess to know what makes couples divorce. Their conclusions are often generalizations that do not perfectly fit the reasons why a particular couple ends its marriage. More often, it is a combination of factors unique to the couple.
Just as their reasons for ending their marriages are unique, so are their needs when it comes to the divorce. Utah couples have the right to negotiate their own settlement agreements, which gives them the opportunity to devise a plan that leaves them both satisfied that they were treated fairly. Once an agreement is reached, it can be presented to the court for final approval.
Source: abc15.com, “Couples who do this are more likely to get divorced, study says“, Herb Scribner, Aug. 16, 2016
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