Are you and your spouse considering a divorce? What does your boss have to say about the matter?

In today's economy, where it seems everyone's job is less stable and salaries aren't what they used to be, you may be wondering if you and/or your potential ex can weather a break-up.

Most couples have come to rely upon their shared income. Regardless of who makes more money, the lesser-earning spouse typically contributes something to the joint bank account, and many couples contemplating divorce may be wondering how they will fare financially without each other. Will one of you keep the house, or will you sell it and split the profit? What if, as with so many other couples, your mortgage is higher than what you can expect to sell the house for, leaving you with a debt to share?

Perhaps one of you is unemployed and dependent on the other's income. This could influence your decision of when to get divorced, or whether to go through it at all. Research cited by Big Think found that divorce is "pro-cyclical" -- divorces go up in good times, and down in lean times, and an increase of 1 percent in the unemployment rate coincides with a 1 percent increase in the divorce rate. 

On the other hand, a person's loss of a job can cause stress and financial problems that actually contribute to a marriage's demise.

Whether you or your spouse have lost a job or just fear that one of you will probably shouldn't solely dictate whether you sign the papers or sign up for marriage counseling. But it's undoubtedly a factor that many couples take into account.

Source: Big Think, "For Richer or for Poorer: Marriage-as-Insurance in Hard Times," Marina Adshade, Nov. 1, 2011