10 Key Motivators: #9 Separation & Divorce
Sadly, a lot of marriages end in divorce. Happily, some divorces end in marriage to a new reality. A reality in which years of interdependence transforms into individual financial independence. When couples embark on the highway of married life, it is with the expectation that the journey will last a lifetime. Often, the journey leaves paved roads and ends up on a rocky backroad.
Merged Finances
Somewhere along the road, the couple will have merged their financial affairs. Joint bank accounts. Life insurance policies naming each other as beneficiaries. Retirement savings accounts, health insurance, mortgages, car loans, stock portfolios, children’s college funds.
As the bumps in the road become more pronounced, the couple may begin to realize the imbalance 
in their joint financial affairs. One spouse may be launched into self-employment while the other remains inside the comfort zone of a secure job with benefits; benefits like employer-paid health insurance. As long as the marriage remains on track the imbalance is immaterial and unquestioned. But, as the road grows bumpier, the individual contributions become a bone of contention and a red flag for each partner as separation plans develop.
Things that were taken for granted for years suddenly become major issues and causes for concern, contention and negotiation. Can an amicable separation be agreed? How will each partner fare in the post-separation timeframe? Will an imbalance in contributions lead to friction, hardship, anguish and financial distress?
The threat of separation and divorce may be one of the most powerful motivational factors leading to a hard and firm plan for financial independence. In this case, the independence is not from wage slavery, but from a romantic partnership that has lost its way. It is one of the most difficult situations to resolve because many years of interdependence must be unravelled in a short timeframe while under the duress of emotional strain.
Beware the Other Side of the Coin
There is another side of the coin that is highly germane in this situation. If one spouse embarks on that journey of financial independence, a financial imbalance may be created. The other partner in the relationship may develop a resentment about contributing more than their fair share. Beware.
