IS DIVORCE HARDER FOR MEN OR WOMEN?

Most of us know that men and women communicate differently, but does that impact the way they work through a divorce too?

Do the inherit or societal differences between men and women make divorce harder for one gender to handle?

Men

Societal norms that define commercial masculinity tend to favor a more stoic way of coping with hardship than an emotional one. Because most men in popular media are scrutinized for expressing their feelings, it’s sometimes easier to envision women feeling sadder after a divorce.

Yet, some argue that men have it worse when it comes to divorce. Some evidence includes studies indicating that women usually initiate the divorce. Another is that men experiencing denial after a wife files for divorce tend to mourn the relationship’s end later on than women. A man who denies himself the grieving process is also more likely to experience physical health issues attributed to stress, such as weight fluctuation, heart disease, anxiety and insomnia. Finally, fathers tend to lose more time with their children in a divorce, as courts often carry a bias for the mother to take the custodial role.

Women

Other studies say women tend to be more stressed and have lower levels of wellbeing than men following a divorce.

One reason why may be because women historically have more difficulty finding career opportunities that are equal to men. While both spouses will lose additional income, it can be more difficult for women to continue climbing up the career ladder. Additionally, women who took time away from work to raise their children may have less job experience than their competition.

It’s also more common for men to jump into a new relationship sooner than women. And then, of course, there are hormonal effects to take into consideration, which can plague women with the blues each month in any case.

The impact of divorce

Whether man and woman divorce, or two men or two women get divorced, we can all agree that it’s a difficult process to cope with. Different genders may be more inclined to handle breakups in a certain matter, but we all have our own unique way of working through hardship too.

If you’re struggling with your divorce, one way to make it a bit easier on yourself is to get a helping hand with the technical aspects of the matter. A skilled attorney can help guide you through the best way to negotiation asset division and child custody while ensuring your agreements have checked every box and are legally enforceable.