Do Tough Economic Times Lead to More or Less Divorce?
That’s a question that can have different answers depending upon who you talk to and which TV networks you watch.
NBC recently aired a report that said divorces are down because of the down economy. The story theorized that people are staying together for purely financial reasons.
Sounds simple enough. A story in a Florida newspaper seems to back that up. Divorce filings in one county are down 18%. The story noted real estate prices have also dropped 20% in roughly the same time period. Okay, point proven, right?
Not so fast. ABC aired a story with a different thesis. That network’s report claimed divorces are up because economic issues put additional strain on already troubled marriages.
A New York attorney told the network that divorces have spiked 20% in recent months as bad news seemingly hits Wall Street every week. The story basically said that when financial woes walk in the front door, love walks out the back door.
I can see arguments for both of these diametrically opposite stories. The bottom line is that money is always an issue in a marriage. Popular wisdom holds that money is the last thing that couples talk about before they get married, but the first thing they fight about after marriage.
In a very real sense (especially these days), money will be one of the most important issues in your divorce. So find a good lawyer, sit down and go over the finances and all the other issues, and figure out together the best path to dissolving your marriage without losing your shirt, financially or emotionally.
Trends come and go. But divorce is about your life. Make sure that whatever you do is not a knee jerk reaction to news events. If you are headed for divorce, make sober decisions based on what you really want, not the latest story you read or watch on television.
