Women Initiate Divorce Proceedings More Often Than Men

Women typically initiate a divorce. The results of a recent study presented at an annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, and reported on by MedicalDaily.com, revealed that women initiate 69 percent of divorces. Women file for divorce more frequently than men for a number of reasons.

• Divorce does not carry the same social stigma it once did. Women worry less about how friends and family members will perceive them if they get divorced.
• Women are more empowered now and rely less upon their husbands for financial support.
• Women now have more education and professional training than previous generations of women, allowing such women to make a living independent from their husbands.
• Women can now look to successful role models who obtained a divorce and maintained the success they experienced before the divorce. Women see other women making it through divorce and think, “I can do that too.”
• Many women attempt to first better or save the marriage with little or no success. Many women try to talk to their spouse about the marital problems, and may even seek counseling. When a husband fails to cooperate or the wife perceives him as not caring about the marriage, she may reach her limit and file for divorce.
• Women might feel neglected, ignored or uncared for in their marriages, which leads to unhappiness. A lengthy period of unhappiness may prompt women to file for divorce.
• Men cheat on their significant other more often than women. The pain and betrayal that a wife feels may prompt her to seek a divorce.
• Some women hope to escape bad marriages when filing for divorce. This might include fleeing domestic violence, leaving the marriage because the woman no longer loves her spouse, or because the woman and her spouse have grown apart over the years.
• Some women feel as though they lost their identity while in the marriage. Perhaps the woman used to pursue her interests and hobbies, but stopped after getting married and having children. The woman may feel trapped, that her marriage propagates her misery and divorce is the only answer.

Divorce is a serious family matter that will affect you, your spouse, and your children. Understanding why you want a divorce is important so you can have certainty that divorce appropriate course of action for you. The professionals at the Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group work with many people contemplating divorce and we can work with you too. Call us at (312) 445-8830 or click here to schedule your consultation.