By Chris Kramer
Total Divorce has provided features on the economic aspects of divorce before, but in this time of economic trouble for money, divorce itself may not even be an option. A recent article in the New Jersey Star-Ledger features many in the professional marriage and divorce industry lamenting how the weak economy has been causing many couples to wait to file divorce and some to even reconsider divorce.
Divorce mediators working in New Jersey have seen a drop in business recently, and anecdotal evidence suggests that couples in counseling are having a more difficult time reaching the decision to divorce, even if they do eventually make that decision. Some couples are treating the sometimes costly process of divorce as they would a big-ticket item that must be saved for, like a new car or a lengthy vacation.
Partially, this greater struggle over the decision of divorce has been a result of how the economy has impacted personal finance, and therefore marriage as well. Many questions arise when considering the consequences of divorce: Who will own the house? Who will own the investments and savings? Who will pay child support? All of these issues may be separately or together linked to woes in the economy.
But are such difficult and contentious issues enough to keep a struggling couple together in marriage? Financial disputes are often one of the leading causes of marital disputes, and very often lead to contested divorces, a fact that seems to contradict this trend.
Most mediators profiled in the article agree that if a couple is heading for a split, economic woes won't be able to stop them from their inevitable path towards divorce. However, many couples have been finding careful ways of dealing with their finances that reflect their growing concern over the economy. Here are some of the issues that have come to light:
As you can see, any slump in the economy in the United States has far-reaching consequences, and divorce is just one among many areas of personal life that take a hit during these times. But creative and careful planning has allowed many of the people mentioned in the article to get on with their lives-and it could help you as well!