A recent study conducted by a sociologist at Stanford University confirmed earlier findings that wives in heterosexual marriages in Wisconsin as well as other states were more likely to be the ones to ask for a divorce. However, this research also uncovered a surprising fact. With unmarried heterosexual couples, men and women were each equally as likely to initiate a breakup of their relatioship.
This study found that in 69 percent of cases where the married couple ultimately ended the relationship, the wife was the one who decided to initiate the divorce. Previous to this research, social scientists had assumed women were more likely to end relationships because they are more sensitive to the highs and lows of romantic relationships. According to the findings of this study, which included 2,262 adults, the reasons relationships end seem to be much more complicated.
The findings suggest that the institution of marriage has not yet let go of traditional gender roles. Gender equality is recognized in many aspects of society yet wives still often take their husbands’ surnames and husbands tend to expect them to assume the bulk of the child care and housework duties. In non-traditional relationships, where women and men share responsibilities, this particular conflict might not exist.
Married people who choose to end their relationship typically work with separate attorneys to ensure their assets are divided equitably. An attorney who has experience with divorce legal issues might give a client advice to help identify all of the marital assets so they can be documented in a property division settlement agreement.
