“Sudden Wealth” Makes Men Less Likely to Divorce; Women More Likely

Sudden wealth, defined in this space as coming into a lot of money quickly, changes your prospects of divorce and marriage, according to a recent study. However, the impact of sudden wealth hits men and women differently. Men, for example, are much more likely to get married and have children after coming into sudden wealth. However, women are much more likely to get divorced quickly once they come into sudden wealth. On the other hand, sudden wealth does not impact a woman’s decision to get married or have children, only the prospects that she will divorce a current husband after coming into a lot of money.

The research, which was conducted by New York University Stockholm School of Economics and the University of Barcelona buttresses a claim that women who are more financially independent are more likely to end their marriages than women who are financially dependent on their spouses.

Finding data 

Finding data to support a claim such as the one mentioned above is no simple task. It can be difficult to find those who see their prospects rise quickly. In this case, the study sought out winners of the Swedish lottery to measure how long it took various individuals to dissolve their marriages. The random nature of the selection process of the lottery mimicked a randomized trial of participants.

According to the study, a Swedish man who wins $96,000 in the lottery is 30% more likely to get married and have children in the next five years. If the participant was married, they were 40% less likely to get divorced in the next 10 years. They were 14% more likely to have children over the next 10 years.

On the other hand, women were impacted in only one category. They were much more likely to initiate a divorce if they saw their economic prospects rise suddenly. In these cases, women were twice as likely to initiate a divorce than other women.

Analyzing the data 

Researchers believe that this data pokes holes in the theory that financial stability increases the prospects of marriage. While it does have this effect for men, it doesn’t for women. In fact, it had no bearing at all on whether women were more or less likely to get married and have children. It did, however, increase the rates of divorce for women who were already married.

This final revelation indicates something that academic research has long believed to be true: That financial independence for women increased the likelihood of divorce. However, it did not indicate that these same women were more likely to avoid marriage and children.

Talk to a Philadelphia Family Lawyer Today 

Lauren H. Kane represents the interests of Philadelphia residents seeking divorce. Call our Philadelphia family lawyers today to schedule an appointment and we can begin discussing your future goals immediately.

Source:

finance.yahoo.com/news/sudden-wealth-makes-men-less-184806119.html