Are millionaires less likely to get divorced?

When couples feel financial stress, it increases the odds of divorce. This is part of the reason that losing a job can make it more likely that a marriage will end. Not having an income, or seeing a significant reduction in income, puts financial stress on the couple.

Conversely, this may lead people to believe that the very wealthy have low divorce odds. If you and your spouse are millionaires, does that mean that you are less likely to split up because you’re not going to face that type of financial stress?

The opposite is true

Some studies claim that wealth actually increases the odds of divorce. There are two potential reasons for this.

The first reason is that wealthy couples don’t feel that they have to stay together just to be able to pay their bills and have financial security. Both people know that they will be financially secure either way. If they want to end the marriage, then, they don’t feel any pressure to stay in it against their will. Couples in lower income brackets are often dependent on one another, so getting divorced is financially risky.

The second reason is that millionaires can certainly face plenty of financial stress. They may have more money, but they also likely have higher expenses. They can still get into conflicts about whether or not they should spend or save. Couples in every income bracket are going to run into disputes about money, and those disputes can lead to divorce.

However, when wealthy couples get divorced, the financial side of property division is often much more complex. If you’re in this position, you need to be sure you understand exactly what legal steps to take.