When Women Earn More than Their Spouse

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Problems can come up when wives earn more than their husbands. This is not always easy, and it’s becoming more common. Reports from Bureau of Labor Statistics state that already 30% of married women make more than their husbands.

It’s not at all surprising, when unemployment among men stands at 9.4% as compared to only 7% for women. Moreover, women are already making great advancements in the whole top-tier workforce. According to Catalyst, almost 43% of senior officials, managers, and legislators are women.

In a relationship, money is really a complex topic. It also doesn’t help that many Americans make it a taboo subject. Couples will not often confront financial problems unless the issues become serious.

Divorce attorney Stacey Phillips shared that she had 20 female clients who divorced due to money issues rising from differences in salaries. Other experts agree that it’s much easier to navigate when there is already a difference in earning capacity from the beginning of the relationship. The biggest problems will rise when the men (who used to be high earners) lost their well-paying jobs and the wife would eventually become the breadwinner.

Financial advisers encourage all couples to discuss money matters and the role of each person in the relationship. This is because certain things like having children, varying salaries, or crisis in the economy are always changing.

Tags: attorney, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Divorce, money, Stacey Phillips, unemployment
Posted in Divorce | No Comments »