Why Are Women Punished for Filing for Divorce?

Statistics show that women are much more likely than men to file for divorce. However, this comes at a cost. Men seem to thrive financially after a divorce. Women? Not so much.

Divorce has a negative impact on finances that often lasts a long time, and women are disproportionately affected. After a divorce is finalized, men hold more than twice the amount of wealth women do. Meanwhile, a woman’s household income falls 41% on average. It’s so bad that women often feel that they are being punished for filing for divorce.

Some women start over as single parents. They are in charge of the majority of childcare while working full-time to pay for expenses. It’s not hard to amass tens of thousands of dollars in debt in just a short period of time.

But it’s not just finances that women have to worry about. On top of everything else, they have to deal with arbitrary and complicated divorce policies that plague them until the day the final divorce paperwork is signed.

One of the biggest issues is how long a divorce takes. Uncontested divorces are supposedly quicker, but those are not the norm. Conflict seems to be a common theme, and by the time the divorce is finalized, it could take a year. More than 1 in 10 divorces take more than two years to finalize. This often has to do with outdated laws and backlogged court systems. In any case, the time during which a couple is in the divorce process puts them in financial limbo.

Why do divorces take so long? This is likely due to the change from fault divorce to no-fault divorce. Every state offers a no-fault divorce and it’s supposed to allow for an easier way out. However, some states intentionally make it more complicated by forcing couples to wait. This is proven by states requiring waiting periods and separation periods.

Women initiate 70% of divorces but they begin divorce proceedings at an overall economic disadvantage. The divorce process only makes matters worse in this regard. When divorce procedures drag out, this adds more hours to attorney bills. The more complicated the procedures, the more time it takes attorneys to support their clients. This amounts to more money for attorneys — hard-earned money that women often do not have.

A longer divorce process means more lost wages from missing work to attend court. It becomes a cycle that drains bank accounts and puts women in a financial hole. And it’s not always a temporary fix. The realities of the processes, procedures, and policies of getting a divorce have a severe impact on women in terms of their wealth and their opportunity to recover.

Seek Legal Help

Divorce is not easy for anyone, but women seem to bear the brunt of the financial issues. Their income falls much more than men’s income and they are more likely to live in poverty.

A divorce can lead to many issues. See how a Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Edward J. Jennings, P.A. can help you through the process so you can improve your financial outcome.  Call 954-764-4330 or fill out the online form to schedule a consultation.

https://fortune.com/2023/08/23/divorce-laws-designed-create-unnecessary-financial-hardship-women-personal-finance/