Most Michigan residents likely know a family member or friend who is divorced. In fact, most people are far too familiar with the statistic that estimates that approximately fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Divorce can happen anytime to anyone regardless of age, sex or creed.
Michigan residents may find it interesting to learn that, according to a recent University of Michigan study, there is another reason as to why couples divorce. In this study, researchers examined a little over 2,700 couples wherein at least one of the individuals in the marriage was over 50 years of age when the study commenced.
Interestingly enough, the researchers found that when the wife, not the husband, in the marriage gets diagnosed with a chronic illness or gets sick, the incidence of divorce was higher in the older couples. Furthermore, the researcher showed that nearly three-fourths of the couples who were battling a chronic disease divorced. The study also looked into the impact of diseases such as cancer on a marriage.
Overall, the study revealed that about a one-third of the marriages in the pool resulted in a divorce due to a chronic illness. Even though men were more likely to get sick, and generally women tend to initiate a divorce, divorce occurred more often when the wife got sick. The researchers of the study theorized that what society expects of men and women may play a role.
Regardless of who divorces whom and when, one thing that is clear is that divorce can happen to anyone. Divorce is difficult for most people, and emotions may impair judgment. Rather than attempting to figure out complicated family law issues by themselves, any Michigan resident who is contemplating divorce may want to be sure to get all the right information about their options.
Source: Time, “Divorce More Likely When Wife Falls Ill,” Alexandra Sifferlin, May 1, 2014
