Am I More Likely To Get Divorced If A Friend Just Divorced?

According to the largest study ever done on the topic and recently published by Brown University, University of California at San Diego, and Harvard University, you are 75 percent more likely to get divorced if a friend just got divorced, and 33 percent more likely if it is a friend of a friend.

Many describe it as “learning quietly” from their friends, and finding that their friend’s journey gives them the strength they need and knowledge required getting through divorce and protecting themselves. In other words, according to experts, people getting divorces can cause those close to them to examine their own lives and realize that, if others can do it, so can they.

Divorce Can Be Appealing

Other factors at play involve experiencing natural human empathy for what others are going through, whereby one person discussing their concerns in their marriage leads the other to do the same. At the same time, individuals who just divorced may sometimes experience temporary highs and even start a new, exciting relationship, which can be very appealing to someone who has been married for an extended period of time.

Hidden Opportunities

Many married couples do not realize that they have stopped putting in the time that couples in new relationships sometimes do. As a result, a marriage that has been in place for some time can suffer. Yet, having friends who are going through divorce can also open up opportunities to increase communications in your own marriage, even allowing you to bring up subjects that have been difficult to bring up in the past. 

Divorce May Not Be As Financially Taxing As You Think

Be aware that a new study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College indicates that while many have long assumed that divorced women suffer financially, the latest statistics indicate that that may not be the case. According to the survey, formerly married but now divorced women have historically been better off than single women who never married, with the key difference being home ownership and/or sharing in another large asset.  Even though divorce attorneys will often caution women and others getting divorced to hold onto the family home if they do not have the resources to make the mortgage payments and keep up the maintenance on their own–and keeping the house is by no means the best move for everyone–divorced women often benefit from receiving a share of the marital assets, generally speaking.

Speak With a Divorce Attorney

Regardless of whether you are still married and contemplating divorce, or in the process of divorce and concerned about your finances, speaking with an experienced divorce attorney to ensure that you move forward intelligently – and that you are protected – is essential. Contact our Orlando divorce lawyers at the Arwani Law Firm, PLLC today to learn more.

Resources:

chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fam-divorce-contagious-0821-story.html

time.com/money/5363886/divorced-women-successful-retirement/