It is good news and bad news.  Bad new; the economy is down.  Good news for couples;  the divorce rate goes down when the economy is down.   It's happening all over the country. When times are tough, it seems, more couples are deciding to tough it out. It's not love that's keeping them together. It's about money.

Divorce means dividing up assets. In this economy, many more divorces are about dividing up the debt.  And in this economy, breaking up is harder to do.

Not only are you faced with splitting debt and, if you're lucky, assets, but now you have to have two new households with less money and more debt.  A result is that across the nation, divorces are down, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Dividing households is a lot more expensive than having someone to help split the rent and utilities. And there are no discounts on divorce.

The decline in the housing market is also contributing to the decrease in divorces. With "upside down" mortgages, it may not be a question of splitting the assets, but dividing the liability, instead. Some couples are deciding to tough it out til the tough times pass.

Money is always a marital stressor.  In these financial times, when people are losing jobs and homes, the stress is higher than ever.  This stress often leads couple to seek a divorce, only to find that the financial strain of a divorce is not even an option.

So, what does this mean for couples today.  Any couples who are seeking divorce need to seek the advice of an experienced family law attorney who can provide you with realistic advice as to how a divorce with financially impact your life. 

Call Jayne Dykema or Lori Zellers at Dykema Law Offices.  They are experienced family law attorneys and certified family law mediators. 

dykemalaw.com

616-363-6611