Why do women initiate divorce more often than men?

| Jun 1, 2021 | Divorce |

Men often joke about marriage and wives being a “ball and chain” — but men are far less likely to seek a divorce than women.

In fact, more than one study has found that roughly 70% of all divorces are initiated by women. What gives? Stereotypes aside, are women actually less inclined to settle down than men, or is something else afoot?

3 reasons that women might ask for divorces more than men

While every relationship is unique, here are three reasons that women may decide to end a marriage faster than men:

1. Women may feel pushed into traditional gender roles after marriage — and resent it. Women now have their own careers outside the home, but husbands still tend to expect their wives to handle the majority of the housework and childcare.
2. Women are no longer inclined to accept or dismiss a spouse’s poor behavior. In the past, women may have felt like they had to tolerate things like abusive language, drinking or infidelity because social pressure discouraged divorce. Now, if a spouse doesn’t live up to their promises, wives are less likely to stay in the marriage.
3. Women tend to do the majority of heavy “emotional lifting” in their relationships. There’s some indication that men may fall into a holding pattern once they’re married and feel secure in their relationships. They may simply stop trying to communicate and nourish the marriage the way they did their earlier relationships.

Times have changed, and there’s no doubt that societal shifts have changed the way that relationships both begin and end.

There’s no reason to stay unhappily wed

If you’re unhappy and unfulfilled in your marriage, it may be time to move on. If a divorce could be in your future, talking with an experienced family law attorney can help you gain clarity and focus.

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