During a divorce, parties expend their energies contesting various legal issues: alimony, child custody, property division and so on. Every decision affects their financial, health and social well-being.
While this may be true for everyone going through divorce, research shows that men and women respond differently to the circumstances. When both parties understand the relationship between their legal rights and their mental health, they have the potential to produce a more amicable divorce in the long term.
Overall health can change during the process
The physiological, physical, mental and financial effects of divorce hit the genders in different ways. For example, economic stability and child-rearing generally have a more direct impact on women. Conversely, men tend to consume a less healthful diet after divorce. They also endure more stress and are more likely to abuse substances such as alcohol. Multiple factors – pre-divorce life, occupations, children and extended family – contribute to the degree to which these apply in each divorce.
The extent of social support ranks as perhaps the most important non-legal difference between men and women both during and after a divorce. Women initiate divorce by more than a two-to-one ratio and often have more support and greater empathy throughout and after the divorce. Men are statistically less likely to seek out therapy and more likely to remarry, suggesting that they seek social support from a new spouse. As Michigan statistics for 2020 show, age may affect the availability of a social network.
Comprehensive support in a life
Divorce ends one way of life while beginning another. Partners, now separated, plot a course with different people and a different purpose. Attorneys who understand the consequences of the divorce in addition to the requirements of the law can offer guidance from beginning to end. Giordano Law, PLC is here to help guide you through your divorce and towards your new future.