We all have unconscious biases. It is part of the human experience, after all! However, when going through divorce, our biases can often get in the way of achieving the best possible outcome.
By becoming aware of these biases, you can think through important decisions more objectively and change how these biases affect your divorce and your financial future, post-divorce. Following are some of the common biases we see while working with our client
The Anchoring Bias
Instead of looking for additional information, an anchoring bias is when you may tend to rely on only one piece of data you have received, using this to shape your decision making.
The Overconfidence Bias
While being confident is often an admirable trait, being overconfident during your divorce process can do more harm than good. For instance, overconfidence can result in poor decision making. We most often see this in mediation when an individual is over-confident of their position, leading to harmful or rash decision making.
The Confirmation Bias
This bias occurs when we sort of ‘cherry pick’ the information that best fits our needs. For instance, your spouse might think something is equitable based on his thoughts and perceptions—not based on what the financial data supports like expenses, investments, marriage length, placement, work history, health, lifestyle, and children.
The Disempowerment Bias
Never heard of the Disempowerment Bias? That’s alright, few have! As Certified Divorce Financial Analysts®, we see it all too often.
While there’s no denying that divorce is hard, for women divorce tends to be especially brutal. For years, the process of divorce has economically disempowered women. In fact, research has shown that a woman’s household income falls 41% after divorce.
Additionally, while traditional household roles are changing, women still take a large role in being the primary caretaker for children. Even if you maintain a job during your marriage, researchers at the Center for Retirement Research have found that being the primary caregiver significantly tampers with a woman’s earning power.
To add insult to injury, during the divorce process and yes, even in mediation, women are disempowered from actively pursuing a fair financial future.
During divorce, women are often coming in at a disadvantage and don’t see it. Here’s how:
- You may not feel that your needs are being heard.
- You have less knowledge, so you have less of a voice.
- Your mediator isn’t able to advocate or give advice.
- You agree to something that’s not in your best interests.
A few years ago, we had a client who was struggling to understand her financial situation and was on the brink of agreeing to a bad deal. When we were in session, the mediator told us, “It’s up to her if she takes a bad deal.” Our questions were:
- WHY is she taking a bad deal?
- Did she understand the deal?
- Is she actually being bullied?
- Under what condition and what terms did she actually agree to this deal?
THAT was the vital information we wanted to know.
When it comes to mediation and the divorce process, it is our mission to empower our clients and help them achieve financial wellness. Don’t expect that you’re walking away from mediation with answers! You need to go into the meeting with knowledge and a financial support system.
WFWC Mediation
The meditations we do at Women’s Financial Wellness Center are effective, empowering, efficient, full of mutual respect, offer clarity on your finances, and both parties walk away with equitable deals.
If you are wondering whether you are getting a bad deal, or need clarity regarding your financials, we encourage you to reach out. In order to be empowered, you have to take power.