Money troubles are often cited as a major reason for conflicts in a marriage. In fact, roughly 35% of all couples say that money is the biggest source of trouble in their relationships.
Would it surprise you to know, however, that there’s an inverse relationship between wealth and marital happiness? The more money you have coming into the household, the more likely you (or your spouse) may be discontent.
Why does wealth bring marital discord?
The financial struggles between high-net-worth couples are simply different from the financial struggles of those with modest means. In a wealthy household:
- When one spouse brings home a large salary, the other may become a stay-at-home parent — and subsequently feel a major power imbalance in their relationship.
- The working spouse may have a high-profile or intense job that requires long working hours and frequent travel, which can also create distance and strain in a marriage.
- When both halves of a couple are working equally high-powered jobs, they may have even less time and energy to devote to maintaining their relationships.
Finally, there’s one more aspect of having wealth that can tip the scales in favor of a divorce: The financial ability to easily leave and start over. Divorce (and everything that goes with it, like setting up a new household) is expensive, and it’s long been noted that divorces decline when economic conditions are generally dismal and rise again when they’re not. That indicates that people may sometimes stay in an unhappy marriage simply because they can’t afford to leave.
Do you suspect that divorce is on the horizon?
If you see signs that your marriage is ending, don’t hesitate to seek more information about what you should be doing to legally protect your future.