Family Law

Money Matters! And Even More So in A Slow Economy.

By Fox Rothschild

How people managed their money during the marriage often effects their respective views on how they should resolve their economic differences during the divorce.  If one party controlled the money during the marriage, then he or she is likely to want to control its disposition in the divorce. 

For example, if a Husband views himself as the bread winner during the marriage and views Wife as “only” the custodian of the children or the “keeper of the house” (and, therefore, undeserving), he may want to retain control of the monies in the divorce and view the Wife as an unentitled or undeserving partner. 

Another scenario is where a Wife who had substantial monies from an inheritance or gifts from her parents and who supported her Husband and “their” lifestyle during the marriage – why, in a divorce, should she share any of her monies with “HIM”. 

It is always about the money! 

If not, it’s about control. And, control often involves “who holds the purse strings”. 

It is possible that our economy is headed into a recession.  No one knows how severe it may be.  However, divorce lawyers know that when economic times get bad, it is much more difficult to resolve economic issues. Why?  Because, while it always is more expensive to support two households after a divorce, in economically depressed times there are even less resources available to smooth out the economic fissures in a marriage where money was plentiful and covered over the cracks in the relationship. 

Further, this may be compounded when there is a business involved, since the valuation of the business will be depressed in a economy like the one we are experiencingnow. 

Who gets what and how much is central stage.  Money does matter.

Full post as published by Pennsylvania Family Law on March 25, 2008 (boomark / email).