Women File for Divorce Much More Often than Men

A divorce usually occurs when both spouses realize that their marital relationship cannot be repaired. The availability of no-fault marriage dissolution in New York and every other state allows parties to go their separate ways without proving any misconduct on their spouse’s part. Still, one spouse has to start the legal process. In a significant majority of cases, it is the woman who files for divorce rather than the man.

There are numerous possible reasons why a woman would be more likely to take the initiative when it comes to seeking a divorce, such as:

• Household responsibilities — Over the past few decades, women around the country have made tremendous strides in the workplace. Yet when it comes to household responsibilities, many couples still seem to live in the 1950s. Wives often tire of a life where they must put in a full day’s work and then be responsible for the lion’s share of parenting, cooking and cleaning chores.
• Relative age — While Americans have been getting married later in life over the past few decades, men are typically a couple of years older than women when they wed. People who married at a younger age may later find that their priorities and opportunities have changed and that spending their life with their spouse is no longer what is best for them.
• Support systems — Studies indicate that married women have more friends than their husbands. When a wife believes that a serious problem exists in her marriage, she might be more likely to receive encouragement from friends to move forward toward a happier life, and she could be more willing take that first step knowing that she has the support of friends.
• Custody norms — Though New York child custody law does not favor mothers over fathers, traditional parenting roles often make it more likely that the mother will receive primary physical custody of the children. Men who fear losing daily contact with their sons and daughters sometimes try to hold on to a dysfunctional marriage.

Women and men who believe that their marriage is no longer working should not hesitate to take action for fear of a long, drawn-out divorce process. Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C. concentrates on delivering simple divorce solutions to Long Island residents who want to minimize the cost and stress associated with legally dissolving a marriage. If you’re considering taking that step, please call 1.631.479.3839 or contact us online to talk with an experienced New York lawyer about what comes next.