Despite the erroneous misconception that men are always blatantly ripped off in divorce proceedings, major statistics have proved that women are much more likely to sustain financial turmoil at the end of the marriage, especially if they have children.
A study by Professor Stephen Jenkins, states that divorced fathers experience an average 30% boost in income, while mothers commonly receive a 20% financial decrease. Granted, divorce laws vary in different states, but the disparity in financial productivity between divorced men and women is absolutely appalling.
In this tragic story, a 49-year-old Brooklyn marketing director recounts the story in which she paid nearly $250,000 to receive a divorce from her ex-husband, and how it left her in financial ruin.
For women who are the breadwinners of their home, the thought of a divorce could seem ridiculous. There are a large variety of prevalent myths associated with divorce that pits money-hungry women against their financially-sound husbands. In this story, a successful marketing manager was instead taken advantage of by her former husband, who ultimately filed for a divorce that she was required to pay for, according to The Cut.
“At the time of my divorce, I was a director at a marketing agency. My now-ex-husband was a hairdresser. There was a difference between our incomes right from the beginning of our relationship (I made a healthy six-figure salary) but he was successful. When I met him, he worked six days a week. . . But after we got married and had a child, he started cutting back on his hours. He said he wanted to take care of our daughter, but he wasn’t. I’d come home from work and there would be bottles everywhere, and she’d be in the same diaper she was wearing when I left. He’d be playing computer games while she was watching Sesame Street. That’s not taking care of a kid, and that’s not being a good role model as a parent. ”
Eventually, she was served divorce papers from her former husband. She reportedly had to pay him $160,000 in spousal support, 13% of the home she purchased, and half of her retirement fund. Overall, she ultimately paid a total of $250,000, and she is still responsible for covering 91% of her daughter’s expenses, while her husband only pays $300 per month, even with his rewarding profession. As a matter of fact, her husband was adamant towards causing her financial ruin.
“I haven’t recovered financially, but I think I’ve recovered emotionally. At one point, when we were splitting up, my ex-husband threatened me and said, “You’re going to be left with nothing. I’m going to make sure you have nothing at the end of this.””
Fortunately, her daughter is living a great life in the full custody of her mother. Although, she has suffered significant financial losses from her divorce. Despite these losses, she is optimistic that she can now put her marriage behind her in the midst of her daughter’s happiness.
“My daughter is doing incredibly well at school, and I don’t believe that she would be if he had custody of her. I’ve given her structure and support that he never would have provided. It was a bad marriage, and now it’s behind me.”
