Stay-at-home dads, once an anomaly, has now become practically a cultural norm. Yahoo recently published a survey about the rising phenomenon of dads who stay at home with their children while their wives or partners are the primary “bread winners.”
In that Yahoo survey there was interesting trend to be seen—while 23 percent of stay-at-home dads said they did so because they weren’t able to find work, a significant and ever-growing portion (21 percent) said they made the choice because it’s what they wanted to do.
It can be an exciting trend to see dads taking a hands-on parenting role while women are expanded their roles outside of the home, but at the same time there are other less encouraging statistics relating to stay-at-home dads.
Many research studies are showing that stay-at-home dads face a higher risk of divorce and much like stay-at-home moms, if their marriage ends these dads may find themselves in a difficult financial position. They may also face the worry of losing custody of their children.
In fact, the American Journal of Sociology published a study a few years back showing that for unemployed married fathers, a lack of employment is a greater predictor of divorce when compared with overall unhappiness in the relationships.
Stay-at-home dads, while they have come a long way in recent years, also tend to face a tremendous amount of scrutiny from outsiders, whether it be other parents or their own family members. This type of pressure can also lead to general discontent and perhaps be a predictor of divorce.
For stay-at-home dads, there are some things to remember if you are headed toward divorce, and some particular topics you should certainly discuss with your divorce lawyer:
If you’re a stay-at-home dad contemplating a divorce, contact a Rhode Island divorce lawyer who can help you understand your rights and what your next steps should be.