You’ve probably heard that half of all marriages end in divorce. This is a somewhat contentious statistic that may not be fully accurate, but it is widely repeated and it does reflect the fact that a lot of marriages do end up in divorce at some point.
However, this does not mean that the situation is always equal between the partners. For instance, studies have found that women file for divorce in about seven out of every 10 cases, or 70% of the time. Even though some of these cases may be essentially mutual, it is still women who tend to take that first step more of the time. Why is this?
Marriage has fewer benefits for women
Historically, marriage had one big benefit for women, which is that it provided them with financial security. They often were not allowed or able to work, so getting married was a way to make sure that they had the money they needed. But that has changed, and modern women have many options in the workforce, so things have shifted and made it so that marriage is not nearly so beneficial to them.
After all, these same studies have also discovered that women tend to do more housework, they spend more time with the children, they are the ones who tend to change their names during the marriage, and they face many other expectations. This is true even for women who are also involved in the workforce, just like their husbands.
Has your wife filed for divorce?
If your wife has filed for a divorce and you’re wondering what steps to take next, it’s very important that you understand exactly what legal options you have.