James Sexton

When people lose their jobs, when there's economic instability, when technological innovation changes the job landscape, that has a tremendous effect.

I mean, there's a

a high correlation between men losing their job and the divorce rate because there's a significant hit to a man, you know, as men being defined in many cultures as being, you know, the provider, the protector, feeling like as a result of factors beyond your control, you've lost your job, you know, is a tremendous difficult experience for anyone, but certainly for men when they're defined in their role as a provider.

And then you see second-order effects that come from that.

Substance use issues as a coping mechanism, you know, men being disincentivized to, you know, participate in genuine things like therapy that might be a better solution than trying to pour whiskey on the shame.

So you see money underneath all these things.

But I always try to say to people, even when you're talking about infidelity, we want simple explanations for the complex problem of a divorce and the breakdown of a relationship.

But I think, you know, people go, you know,

get divorced the same way they go bankrupt, very slowly and then all at once.

And so no single raindrop's responsible for the flood, but all of these little things add up.

And then there is some final indignity, some final moment, whether that's infidelity, whether that's financial impropriety, that really is the straw that breaks the camel's back.

And I see that both with

When I used to represent, you know, the cop and the teacher and all they really have is a 401k and a house.

And now I represent billionaires and they have some of the same problems.

You know, there's just no, if $100 million isn't enough, $500 is not going to be enough.

If a billion is not enough, $8 billion is not going to be enough.

And I think that has, you know, a lot of second order effects on relationships.

I do.

You and I both are fathers of sons.

I'm a little further down the road.