A 2015 study by the American Sociological Association found that women are more likely than men to initiate divorce. There may be several reasons this is the case. In general, women in California and around the country may seek a divorce because they are less fulfilled by marriage than men are.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found in a 2019 study that men still expect their wives to do the bulk of the housework and child care even when they both work. A higher percentage of women report doing housework daily compared to men. Furthermore, when women are successful in their careers, they may not receive support from their husbands. The journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin reported a 2019 study that found many men experienced distress when their wives made more money than they did.
Men also tend to lean on their wives for emotional support while women often turn to friends. This can make men more reluctant to leave a marriage. Furthermore, since women are less likely to rely on men for financial support than in the past, they may be more likely to divorce men who are abusive or unfaithful. Women may also have higher expectations for what marriage should provide. In a 2017 study in the United Kingdom on same-sex divorces, most of them happened between women.
Women who are financially independent may end up paying alimony if they make substantially more than their husbands. In California, a community property state, property is supposed to be divided equally in a divorce, so spouses may find themselves splitting homes, retirement accounts and other assets. They might want to try to negotiate an agreement for property division and child custody instead of going to court since this can give them more control and cost less in time and money.
