Over the years, a popular myth has developed about assets and divorce. In short, according to this myth, people with higher asset amounts tend to fight more during divorce.
But how true is this? Is there any truth to the correlation?
Wealthy couples and amicable divorce
According to Business Insider, this may not be the case after all – at least, not in the way a person may expect. In fact, wealthier couples actually seem to fight less than their counterparts in other wealth brackets.
However, this does not mean that wealth does not tie to arguments in divorce. Couples who have over $5 million in joint assets fight less, but couples with between $1 and $5 million in joint assets fight more than any other group of couples.
Emotions tied to finances
How does this discrepancy exist? In short, it may tie to financial security. In other words, it is actually how couples feel about their wealth rather than the number of assets they have.
If a couple feels financially secure, they are less likely to argue and fight during the divorce. Couples with over $5 million in net worth tend to feel more financially secure, and thus have a higher rate of amiable divorce devoid of intense arguments.
However, even a couple with less than $1 million in net worth can find it in themselves to divorce amiably as long as they feel financially secure. This could tie to a number of factors, including pre-existing tension in the relationship, meaning vitriol in divorce arguments does not always boil down to assets.