On behalf of Cobert, Haber & Haber Attorneys at Law posted in Divorce on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.
New York residents may be surprised to learn that doctors may have a lower divorce rate than others who are or have been married. A study conducted between 2008 and 2013 analyzed the divorce rates of 40,000 doctors and 200,000 professionals in the nursing, dental and pharmacy fields. Health care executives were also made part of the study.
It also looked at the divorce rate outside of the health care field, which was found to be at 35 percent. Dentists in the study reported a divorce rate of 25 percent, 33 percent of nurses were found to have divorced while 24 percent of doctors were said to have been divorced. Among those surveyed, women who worked more than 40 hours per week were more likely to have gone through a divorce. However, men who worked over 40 hours per week were less likely to have been divorced.
Researchers say that women who work full time in the medical field may have a higher divorce rate due to a lack of work-life balance. However, they caution that there is not enough evidence to determine if this is the case. Prior to the study, which was published on Feb. 18, it was believed that doctors had a higher rate of divorce due to their long hours and increased stress levels on the job.
Those who are contemplating a divorce may wish to consult with a family law attorney. There are a variety of issues that will often be contentious, including property division and spousal support, and an attorney can assist in negotiating a comprehensive settlement agreement to be presented to the court for its approval.
Source: U.S. News & World Report, “Doctors Less Likely to Divorce, Study Finds”, Robert Preidt, Feb. 19, 2015
