It has long been claimed that disagreements over finances is the leading cause of divorce. A research project that was made up of educators from Texas and other states has recently set out to see if this is actually true.
The study that these educators put together concluded that money issues do play a greater part than many other factors that could lead to a divorce. The authors of the study analyzed data that came from surveys taken of 4,500 couples. It did not seem to make a difference what economic class the couple came from as money seemed to be a large factor in divorces for couples that were either rich or poor.
Though we like to believe that stereotypes are breaking down when it comes to family law matters, most couples in this study still will under the impression that the husband should be the true breadwinner in the family. For women, money and sexual dissatisfaction were said to be leading causes for marital discord. But these women nevertheless seemed to be a greater factor leading up to a divorce.
It’s not surprising that divorces do occur more often when couples are under stress. And there is probably no greater time of stress for most people than when money is short. However, even when economic hardship does not exist, people often feel less secure when they are not making the sort of money that they were hoping to earn. Money can also become a power issue for certain couples as well.
It’s impossible to definitely state all the possible reasons why money problems could also lead to marital problems. Too often, people continue staying together in an unhappy marriage without any hopes that the marriage will improve. Divorce does in some cases provide individuals with a possible new start to get on with their lives.
Source: Deseret News, “Money fights predict rocky marriage, possible divorce,” Lois M. Collins, July 24, 2013
