ksanders
Moderator Emeritus
Well, divorce is a huge financial hit for most families. While most TF members will be in the top 10% income range in the US, and therefore can more readily take the ~ 30% reduction in standard of living, not all are as fortunate. Divorce is a significant predictor for poverty for both children and the aged.
My own financial life would be irrevocably altered if my wife was to divorce me. Fortunately, for many reasons, she still hasn't come to her senses after 35 years.
I completely agree that if you take 100% and divide it by 2 you will only end up with 50% or even less. Thats the reality.
A factor that mitigates that is if the couple is living a expensive lifestyle, and one of the parties would be quite happy with a much less expensive lifestyle, making for a very comfortable standard of living.
I will use myself as an example. Together my wife and I can run through a kings ransom every month on all the stuff "necessary" to "live". More than I ever imagined, and no we do not have any "payments" anymore. Just insurance costs me over $600 a month for the cars and the house. Not to mention everything else.
Myself, all I would need are my boat related expenses, and a little food. Possibly insurance on one of our vehicles. I'd probably cruise more so some boat fuel.
I did the math once and was shocked at how little monthly living expenses would be If I could bag the house and all it entails. Yes a house is an asset, but it is an asset that costs. Maintenance, upgrades, insurance, then insurance on all the vehicles, utilities, etc... It's not just the house, its all the stuff you buy that goes in the house. The list could go on forever.
I love my wife dearly. We have well over two decades of water under the bridge, but I am a realist that our "together" lifestyle is much more expensive than if it were just me living on my boat. A hell of a lot more than 50%
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