University researchers have uncovered new insights about the factors that influence marital satisfaction. According to their survey results, married couples in North Carolina and elsewhere could experience differences in marital contentment based on their gender, initial feelings about the marriage and economic status.
Information collected from 431 couples between 2009 and 2014 indicated that people’s initial happiness with marriage typically set them up for long-term satisfaction. Couples that started with high to moderate marital happiness largely maintained stable relationships. Couples that expressed low satisfaction initially tended to experience increasing feelings of dissatisfaction over time. Among people who had low satisfaction at the start of their marriage, women reported feeling the greatest decline in satisfaction. Men in the same group, however, responded that their satisfaction stabilized as time went by.
When researchers looked at the economic status of marital households with low satisfaction scores, they found that economic disadvantages troubled wives much more than husbands. Initial satisfaction at the start of marriage mitigated this effect somewhat.
Regardless of the forces that motivate people to end their marriages, divorce requires navigating family law to complete. An attorney who represents people during divorce could provide information about how the divorce might affect finances and child custody. Information about rights to certain property and approaches to child custody might prepare someone to negotiate a divorce settlement. An attorney might take action to broker an equitable division of assets and a co-parenting plan. Special issues, like disputes over money or access to children, may require an attorney to petition a court to resolve the problems. This type of legal assistance might allow a person to achieve divorce terms that limit financial hardship and future disputes.