Assets undoubtedly play a role in many arguments leading up to a divorce, and in many arguments during the divorce process.
But do more assets actually equate to more arguments during a divorce?
Where did this myth come from?
Business Insider discusses arguments that happen inside couples within different brackets of wealth. The popular myth that greater assets cause greater arguments may have spawned specifically from the upper-middle class.
This group of couples has more assets than many others. However, they actually have the highest rate of arguments and rocky divorces in general out of any other wealth bracket. In fact, they fight so often and with so much vitriol that the media even dubbed them “the fighting class.”
From this alone, it is easy to see where the myth came from. However, one needs only look toward the couples in the wealth bracket of over $5 million to see some discrepancies.
Wealthy, upper-class couples actually have a higher rate of amiable divorce than any other wealth bracket despite having far more assets. Why is that?
Feelings on wealth vs. actual wealth
Speculation is that it is not the amount of wealth itself that influences arguments in divorce, so much as how a couple feels about the assets they have.
In short, since upper-class couples have more assets, they feel more financially secure. They are less likely to lash out at their partner and attempt to get a larger sum of money.
On the other hand, upper-middle-class couples have more assets than some, but not enough to feel financially secure. This leads to lashing out and arguments.
