A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan made some interesting discoveries when it comes to how well we get along with our in-laws and whether or not we will get divorced. They determined that husbands who have a good relationship with their in-laws have a 20 percent higher chance of not getting divorced. However, women who get along well with their in-laws are 20 percent more likely to get divorced.
The study was at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and it looked at 373 same-race couples over a period of 26 years, beginning in 1986. When the study started, all of the couples were between 25 and 37 years old and had been married for a year or less.
The researchers think the reason for these varying divorce predictions is because women may become so involved with their husband's family that they begin to think his parents are meddling in their life. Men apparently do not share the same worry, which is why there is such a difference.
Dr. Terri Orbuch, a psychologist and research professor who led the study, said that women may have more trouble "because relationships are so important to women, their identity as a wife and a mother is central to their being." She thinks that women interpret what their in-laws say and do as interfering with their entire identity. Men don't necessarily feel that way and when they get along with their wife's family, it's a tie that connects the husband and wife.
At the Law Offices of Paul H. Nathan, it's no surprise to us to hear that men and women have fundamentally different experiences with marriage and divorce. If you need legal representation because your marriage is failing, call 415-341-1144 to schedule an appointment with a trustworthy San Francisco divorce attorney. We can give you the confidence to work toward the goal you set: reconciliation, separation, or divorce.