What Divorcing Wives Fear Most

For the less affluent, those fears may be justified. According to an analysis of U.S. Census data:

• Women's Social Security benefits, pension and savings tend to be smaller than their exes' due to lower wages and time out of the work force for child-rearing.
• More than half (52%) of men who are 65 or older have income from a pension or savings, compared to just 36% of women.
• Some 57% of older women live alone, while 67% of older men live with a spouse or partner. Couples are more likely to be economically secure than single people.
• Even among people who are 85 or older, only 17% of women live with a spouse or partner, compared with 60% of men.
• On average, the income of older men is nearly 75% higher than women's. 

When you work with a divorcée or a woman contemplating divorce, be aware of these underlying fears and address them as positively as you can. If your client's post-divorce financial situation looks precarious, brainstorm ideas with her about how to bring in more income, reduce expenses, or join other women in sharing goods and services.

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