Common myth dictates that the more assets a couple has, the more likely they are to get into serious disputes when they divorce.
But exactly how true is this? Do couples with more money really fight more viciously than couples with fewer assets?
Wealthy vs. comfortable
Business Insider points out that rich couples over a certain net worth may not fight during divorce as much as people think. However, this largely applies to couples with a net worth of over $5 million.
By speculation, these couples fight less over assets because they have reached a point where they truly feel “set for life”, i.e. any amount of financial distress will not disturb their ability to live comfortably.
Comparatively, couples who have a net worth of between $1 million and $5 million tend to fight more aggressively. This upper-middle class group earned the moniker “the fighting class” because of this tendency to wage violent battles against each other in court through proxies.
Why does this happen?
Why is this? Essentially, these couples have attained enough to live comfortably. However, they do not have enough money to feel like they will never struggle financially again if they come across serious roadblocks. Because of this, they wage veritable war against one another to get as many of the assets as possible and get a leg up with continuing their current lifestyle.
So, in some ways, this common myth is and is not true. While many wealthier individuals may fight for financial security, they will often stop doing so after they hit a certain level of wealth.
