Are children of high-income families hit harder by divorce?

Divorce is stressful for every family as everyone adjusts to a new way of life. Children may have the hardest time with this period of adjustment, especially when the parents are going through a high-asset divorce.

Research shows that children of divorcing parents with high incomes may exhibit more negative behaviors than children of divorcing parents who had medium to low-incomes.

Why are children of high-asset divorce suffering more than other kids?

There is no concrete evidence to explain why kids of high-asset divorce suffer more negative effects than other children, but there are some theories as to why:

1. Once reason is that high-income couples are historically less likely to divorce. This means that when a divorce occurs, it may be more devastating to a child who may not have seen the same situation from other family members or friends.
2. Another theory is that it is not unusual for the father, who may be the primary earner in the home, to move out. This may have a dramatic effect on the lifestyle of the mother and the remaining children. They may have to move to a different home, change schools or simply not enjoy the usual standard of living that they had been used to.
3. Child custody, and where the child spends the majority of their time, can also be a factor. If the child splits time between two homes and experiences a different lifestyle from one home to the other, this may cause negative feelings. For example, it would not be surprising for a child to be frustrated when there is a clear disparity in homes.

No matter where a family stands on the economic ladder, a divorce or separation will affect a family and the kids differently. If you are considering a high-asset divorce that includes children, you may want to put extra focus on their well-being. It may help them get through the divorce in the best possible way.