Many people stay in unhappy marriages for "the sake of the children", but more and more women are staying in marriages because they are financially trapped. Studies have shown that woman are typically more stressed about money than men and that money is the top cause of stress for Americans in general.
One point that this article makes that is very interesting is that "for many, talking about money is more difficult than talking about sex - even in the therapy room".
When there are children involved, stress level for parents regarding money is significantly higher. The US Department of Agriculture says that the average cost of raising a child from birth to age 17, is approximately $233,610.00 and that does not include the cost of a college education which could easily run up to $200,000.00 per child.
This is another reason why a collaborative divorce is a much healthier way to work out difficulties in a dissolution of a marriage. There is a team of professionals, including financial advisors and accountants, who are there to help couples work through the difficult financial circumstances that they may face.
Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Stacy Francis, CNBC. Picture courtesy of sarahwolfephotography | Moment | Getty Images.