Why You Need To Think About Divorce When You’re Happily Married

Is anyone looking over your shoulder while you’re reading this? If not, carry on…

When married life is going well, it might seem like tempting fate to even think about what divorce would mean. But it’s actually a smart financial move.

42% of marriages are expected to end in divorce¹

Unfortunately, divorce is a reality for many couples. Based on current trends, 42% of marriages are expected to end in divorce¹. As well as the emotional upset, the financial consequences can be huge.

Keeping a marriage happy takes work. Communication is key, no more so than when it comes to money. Financial stress is often considered to be a major contributor to marriage breakdown. Making sure you’re both on the same page with your finances can protect your relationship and help you avoid becoming another divorce statistics.

Talk money

Taking about your finances with your partner can help strengthen your marriage. By having open and honest conversations about your financial goals, values, and concerns, you can understand each other’s beliefs around savings and risk, enabling you to plan together to build a stronger financial future. On the flip side, it will also raise any areas of contention where you don’t agree. Bringing in a financial Adviser may be helpful to ensure you make joint informed decisions around your financial plans.

Knowledge gives you power – and peace of mind

In a recent survey of UK consumers, just 27% passed a money literacy test, highlighting a worrying lack of knowledge about the world of finance². Having a greater understanding around financial jargon and products can help people be better informed, more confident around money and as a result manage their wealth better. An experienced Adviser can help you understand your finances and avoid making mistakes.

Keep the children’s future protected, no matter what

If you have brought significant assets into a marriage, this may start to worry you if you and your partner don’t see eye to eye when it comes to money management. You may want to make provisions such as putting assets in a trust for your children as a way of ensuring their future isn’t compromised in the event of a relationship break down or your partner making poor money decisions.

With so many people citing financial stress as a reason for a relationship to break down, it’s worth nipping it in the bud as early as possible and seeking the guidance of a financial Adviser – one that you both trust and can work with together.

Having a third party involved to offer that objective opinion could be the difference between planning your diamond wedding anniversary in later years or looking back and wishing you’d done more to protect your relationship in its early days.

Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

¹ Most common factor that leads to irretrievable breakdown in divorce cases, Office for National Statistics, February 2023

²Shepherds Friendly, Money Literacy Test – June 2023. Survey of 2,003 UK consumers conducted in April 2023.

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