Statistically speaking, your wife is more likely to leave you than you are to leave her – but why?
There’s been a puzzling series of studies that indicate that women in the U.S. (and other countries), not men, file for divorce about 70% of the time. Some of this trend can be tied to the fact that women are less economically dependent upon their husbands than in times past. However, that merely explains how women can leave unhappy marriages – now why they’re unhappy in the first place.
Women are looking for more than a transactional relationship
Research indicates that men get a lot of benefits from being married. Married men live longer than unmarried men, and tend to have better incomes. Women contribute to these perks by taking on a lot of the “support” roles in a marriage, managing everything from grocery shopping and meals, to taking care of the house and children. This allows their husbands to focus harder on their careers and personal development.
Essentially, it seems that women are starting to decide that they’re getting the short end of the bargain. They don’t need their husbands to be providers as they once did, so they’re looking for relationships that fulfill their emotional needs. If their husbands aren’t meeting those needs, they will turn to their friends, their children, their relatives or other relationships to find fulfillment.
Naturally, every situation is different. Human relationships are endlessly complicated, and marriages can crumble under the weight of numerous problems. If you feel like your spouse may already have one foot out the door, it may be time to learn more about the divorce process and what it takes to protect your interests.
