Do more assets make a divorce harder?

by | Nov 11, 2022 | Divorce

Assets do have an intrinsic tie to matters of divorce in many ways. For example, financial reasons are a main cited reason for couples seeking divorce in the first place.

But after that point, how much do assets impact divorces?

Assets as a trigger for divorce

Business Insider talks about the relationship between divorce and assets. Of course, asset division has a reputation as being one of the most difficult parts of a divorce. Both parties want to keep as many assets as possible, naturally. To that end, they tend to fight during this stage of divorce.

However, some people believe that having more assets will give people more to argue over, and will thus lead to bigger, more frequent, and/or worse arguments in general. But is that true?

Couples with a net worth of over $5 million actually fight much less than couples with a net worth between $1 and $5 million, so it might not be.

Amiable divorce among the rich

Richer couples actually have the highest rate of amiable divorce among any wealth bracket. By contrast, even though upper middle-class couples have a good amount of assets, they fight more than any other wealth bracket – including those who have fewer assets.

But is it the asset amount itself that leads to these arguments? In reality, it might boil down to financial security.

Couples with over $5 million in net worth do not feel financial insecurity. Thus, they can put their differences aside and work toward an amicable solution. On the other hand, couples with between $1 and $5 million have enough to live well, but not enough to stave off every financial disaster. This leads to more insecurities and thus more fights.