Asset division is without a doubt one of the most stressful parts of going through divorce. This holds true for most couples, whether they have few assets or many.
However, some people believe that a couple with more assets will naturally fight more during divorce than a couple with fewer. But is this true?
High asset couples
Business Insider states that wealth does not actually impact the chance of a volatile divorce – at least, not beyond a certain measure of wealth. Couples with a net worth of over $5 million reportedly have more amiable divorces than almost anyone else.
Why, exactly? Speculation differs, but largely centers around the idea of financial insecurity. At this level of wealth, most people consider themselves “set for life”. This means that even a nasty divorce will not rob them of their security in their current lifestyle.
The anxiety from financial insecurity
By comparison, couples who experience more financial insecurity tend to fight more viciously over asset division no matter how many assets they have.
Couples with few assets tend to fight more over what little they own because they fear what life will be like if they lose too much.
However, couples that average between $1 and $5 million in net worth actually fight the most, to the point that they earned the moniker “the fighting class”. This is because they still feel financial insecurity unlike their wealthier counterparts, but they also have far more to lose in a brutal divorce than others who are not as well off.
Thus, financial insecurity more than asset amounts tend to impact how vicious a divorce gets.