Divorce Risk is Greater if a Wife Earns More Than Her Husband

When one thinks of the typical reasons that people divorce, things like infidelity and lack of communication come to mind. Financial problems are also a major reason–typically when couples are struggling to make ends meet. But you may be surprised to learn that when women in heterosexual marriages earn more money than men, those unions are more likely to end in divorce than when the men earn more than the women. Some men in Illinois and elsewhere in the country simply can’t handle situations where their wife is the higher earner–and this can ultimately lead to the breakdown of the marriage. Read on to learn why divorce happens when women earn more than men.

Female Breadwinners are Becoming More Common

Women earning more than men is becoming an increasingly common fact of life. More women than men have college degrees in the workforce, which typically translates into a higher earning potential. Women are also increasingly being promoted to higher positions, such as managerial and C-suite roles. 

Millennial women are almost twice as likely as women in the baby boomer generation to make as much money as their male partners. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that nearly 40 percent of wives earn more than their husbands. A study that was conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that women outearning men is more common in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Why Earning Discrepancy Matters

Even as women’s financial contributions to marriages increase, men are still largely perceived to be the financial providers in the marriage. A Pew Research Center report found that, with a third of all cohabiting couples in the U.S., women bring in 50 percent or more of the earnings. Overall, however, men contribute more to the household income. 

Ultimately, social attitudes regarding earnings can drive these rifts that emerge in marriages where women earn more than men. Marriage therapists describe reasons for the dissolution as insecure feelings that men have that women have lost respect for them. That is, men tie their worth to being the breadwinner in the marriage and feel like their wives and others lost respect for them if they do not make more money.

This unspoken social norm also affects women. A New York Times article found that women who earned more money than their husbands reported making less money than they actually made.

While there are some couples capable of focusing on other aspects of their relationship, long-existing social and cultural forces still place a higher value on husbands bringing home more bacon than their wives.

Shifting Attitudes?

There is some evidence that attitudes regarding gender and income are changing. In a USA Today article, millennial men were asked about how they felt if their female partner potentially outearned them. Millennial men, at least, seemed to express neutral opinions about this.

While attitudes appear to be changing, adjustments in perception may not be keeping up with the steady increase in women’s salaries. Of course, some men are perfectly happy to be stay-at-home husbands and fathers. However, there is an increasingly large movement of “tradwives,” where women are staying home and adopting “traditional” values from the 1950s. 

Statistics Supporting Increased Divorce Rates When Women Earn More

A study conducted by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business determined that married women earning more than women increased the possibility of unhappiness in the marriage. Even women earning just $5,000 more than the man increased the risk of divorce than marriages where the partners made the same or the woman earned less than the man.

The U.S. National Survey of Families and Households determined that those who report being happy in their marriages declined when women earned more than their husbands. This was said to increase the risk of divorce by 50%.

There’s research suggesting women with a high net worth that’s more than what their partner earns are at a greater risk for divorce. Although other experts contend that couples may still remain together even if a wife earns more. In some instances, this may be because the lower earner can’t afford to live independently. But a study of more than 6,000 couples found that the divorce risk is approximately 30 percent higher when a husband is not working full-time.

Divorcing Couples 

Regardless of whether or not a marriage is ending because a wife is earning more, a divorce attorney typically considers many factors when negotiating a settlement agreement. Marital assets, for example, are usually divided up reasonably regardless of gender or what each party makes. However, each spouse’s earnings are usually considered if there is a need or request for spousal or child support. 

Divorce can be tricky and emotional, and finances make it even more complicated. Contact a seasoned divorce attorney today.