When women choose to seek a divorce
Seeking a Divorce as a Woman
Roughly 69% of divorces are initiated by women, according to a study by the American Sociological Association, and college-educated women initiate their divorces at a rate of 90%.
Reasons Why Women Seek Divorce
Women seek to end their marriages for a variety of reasons, ranging from issues with communication and intimacy to infidelity and abuse.
• Communication Problems: When communication breaks down, it can lead to misunderstandings, arguments, and feelings of isolation. Women may decide to divorce if they feel like their partner is not listening to them or if they feel like they cannot communicate effectively with their partner.
• Infidelity: Women are often more likely to seek divorce if their partner has been unfaithful. Infidelity can cause emotional pain, trust issues, and a breakdown of the marital bond.
• Abuse: Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse can occur in a marriage, and women who experience abuse may seek divorce to protect themselves and their children. Abuse can have long-term physical and psychological effects on women and can create a hostile and unsafe home environment.
• Incompatibility: Sometimes, couples may find that they are no longer compatible with each other. If women believe they have grown apart from their partner or if they feel like their partner has changed in ways that make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship, they may choose to divorce.
• Financial Issues: Money problems can create stress and tension in a marriage. If women feel like their partner is not contributing equally to the household finances or if they are facing financial problems that their partner is not willing to address, a divorce may be in the future.
• Lack of Intimacy: A lack of intimacy can cause frustration and resentment. When women feel like their partner is not interested in being intimate with them or if they feel like they are not getting their emotional and physical needs met, they are more likely to seek a divorce.
A divorce lawyer may be able to answer any questions that you might have about how the process would work.
The Immediate After-effects
The emotional, financial, and psychological effects of divorce on women can be significant and will vary from person to person. While the immediate aftermath of seeking a divorce is always challenging, with time, support, and resources, women can rebuild their lives.
• Emotional: The emotional effects of divorce on women can be intense and multifaceted. Initially, women may feel a range of emotions, including shock, anger, sadness, and fear. They may experience feelings of failure, guilt, and regret, particularly if they have children. Women may also struggle with a loss of identity and a sense of purpose, particularly if they were stay-at-home mothers or if their identity was closely tied to their marital status.
• Psychological: Divorce can also have long-term psychological effects on women. Studies have shown that women who go through a divorce may be more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. In fact, divorce is the second most stressful life event people go through after the death of a spouse. Women may also have a harder time trusting others and forming new relationships. Some women may benefit from counseling or therapy to address these issues and work through their emotions.
• Financial: Divorce can be a significant challenge for women, particularly if they were financially dependent on their partner or if their partner was the primary breadwinner. Women may need to find a new source of income, learn how to manage their finances, and adjust to a new standard of living. They may also need to navigate complex legal and financial issues, such as dividing assets and negotiating alimony or child support.
In some cases, women may face discrimination or bias in the workplace because of their marital status, which can make it even harder to find a job or advance in their careers.
Financial Aspects Women Must Consider After a Divorce
Divorce can have significant financial repercussions for women, even if both partners were bringing in an income. The financial effects of divorce can be long-lasting and can impact a woman’s financial security and well-being for years to come.
• Loss of Income: Women may have been financially dependent on their spouse during the marriage. This arrangement can make it difficult for women to support themselves after the divorce. If the couple has children, the financial impact can be even greater as the woman may be responsible for supporting the children on her own.
In addition to the loss of their spouse’s income, women may also face a reduction of their own income if they have to take time off work to care for the children. In some cases, women may need to reduce their work hours to accommodate their new responsibilities as a single parent. This can result in a significant loss of income and make it difficult to maintain the same standard of living they had during the marriage.
• Property Division: Divorce involves dividing assets and liabilities accumulated during the marriage. Women may lose a portion of their marital assets, including the family home, retirement accounts, and investments. Property division can be a complex process, particularly if the couple has significant assets or property that was acquired before the marriage but that has appreciated since that time. Women may be entitled to a portion of their spouse’s retirement accounts or pension benefits, which can be challenging to calculate and may require the assistance of financial experts.
• Spousal Support: Women may be entitled to receive spousal support from their spouse. However, this is not always the case, and the amount and duration can vary widely depending on factors, such as income, earning potential, and the length of the marriage.
• Child Support: Women with young children may be entitled to receive child support from their spouse. However, child support payments may not always be enough to cover the expenses associated with raising a child, particularly if the child has special needs or if the custodial parent has limited earning potential.
• Legal Fees: Divorce can be an expensive process, particularly if it involves complex issues, such as property division, child custody, and spousal support. Women may need to pay legal fees, which can add up quickly and impact their financial well-being. To find out more, contact a divorce lawyer.
• Credit: One of the most significant financial issues that women face during a divorce is the impact on their credit score. Divorce can have a significant impact on a person’s credit score, particularly if the couple previously had joint accounts. If a couple has a joint credit card, for example, and one person stops making payments, the late payments will be reported on both spouses’ credit reports, which can lower their credit scores.
Another credit issue that women may face after a divorce is the need to establish credit in their own name. Many couples have joint accounts, and if a woman has relied on her spouse’s income and credit history, she may not have much credit history of her own. This can make it difficult for her to obtain credit on her own after the divorce. To establish credit, women may need to open credit accounts in their own name and make timely payments to build a positive credit history.
• Debt: Getting divorced can take a financial toll, especially if there are disagreements over property division, child support, and alimony. Legal fees and court costs add up quickly, and many women find themselves in debt as a result of the divorce process. In addition, if one spouse is awarded a significant amount of debt in the divorce settlement, the other spouse may still be held responsible for paying off that debt if it was a joint account.
We Can Help
If you need a New Jersey divorce lawyer to help you through the process, call the law office of Kelly Berton Rocco in Hackensack at 201-343-0078 to schedule an appointment.
