It is an unfortunate fact that many North Carolina marriages end in divorce each year. While a number of different factors may lead to a divorce, division of labor issues remain as some of the most common causes.
In a study completed by a sociology professor at Harvard University, data involving more than 6,300 heterosexual married couples was analyzed. The researcher found that a wife’s ability to be self-supporting and a couple’s overall financial circumstances were not reliable predictors of whether or not a marriage would end in a divorce. The study’s author did find that the division of labor did have a large impact on the ultimate success or failure of marriages, however. How labor is divided and how it affects marriages has also changed over time.
Couples who were married before 1975 had a lower risk of divorce when the woman performed a greater share of the household tasks. Since that time, however, couples who divide household chores more evenly have lower risks of divorcing than do couples who place a majority of the duties upon the wives. Couples are also more likely to divorce when the men are not the breadwinners. A woman’s choice to work outside of the home does not affect the likelihood of divorce.
In some cases, the end of a marriage is inevitable, regardless of the reason or reasons that precipitate it. A person who is in this situation may want to meet with a family law attorney as soon as possible in order to determine how best to proceed. When the couple can communicate with each other, their respective attorneys could assist in negotiating a settlement agreement that would then be sent to the court for its approval.