Here are a number of points showing how money and divorce are all too often intertwined:
- One person feels like they have control of the relationship because they make the most money. It’s totally common and OK for one of the “partners” to make more money than the other, but the problem comes in when that person feels that their income puts them in a position of power. This sets up a recipe for disaster, as the lower wage earner becomes resentful of their husband or wife.
- One of the spouses likes to shop just a little too much. It doesn’t really matter how much disposable income there is in the household, if one of the partners has too strong a penchant towards spending money, the more frugal partner will eventually have a problem with them.
- Worse yet, both spouses like to shop a bit too much and live beyond their means. Nothing causes more financial stress than debt. A couple that believes in spending more than they make is simply a ticking time bomb.
- The husband or wife come into a large amount of money — independent of the other spouse. Whether it be from an unexpected inheritance or even a lottery windfall; sometimes you never quite know what a person is like until they have a huge amount of money in hand.
- One of the spouses loses their income completely. With the loss of a job, the spouse who is suddenly thrust into the position of sole breadwinner can become very resentful of the other spouse and feel like the other spouse is no longer their equal, but now their dependent.
- A simple lack of funds. The old saying goes “romance without finance is nomance.” This proves to be true in many cases. The stresses related to being behind on bills and in constant danger of losing everything can be a bit much for a couple to handle.
- Finally, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) reasons that money becomes such a detrimental issue for couples is that they simply fail to discuss money together at all.
