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Will Breast Implants Increase Your Chance of Divorce?

The numbers might or might not surprise you. Breast augmentation procedure rates increased by  48% as compared from the year 2000 to 2018 .  Meanwhile, you may wonder about something else. Will breast implants increase your chance of  divorce ?

Truth be told, there appear to be no hard statistics on the correlation between breast augmentation and divorce. New Jersey case law comes up blank with causes of action relating the two.

Research the subject yourself, and you might even blush. For sure, you’ll find plenty of anecdotal tales. A cleaned-up version of one story came from a husband claiming he paid for his wife’s new breasts for someone else’s pleasure.

Cosmetic surgery of any type comes with expectations of transformation. Meanwhile, motivation plays a role in determining how breast augmentation will factor in a marital relationship.

First, whose idea was it to get breast implants in the first place? The husband who suggests them puts his wife in a potentially uncomfortable position. Does he not like the way she looks?

Interestingly enough, one study shows that  men’s oppressive beliefs predict their breast size preferences in women . The males who prefer larger breasts tended “to be benevolently sexist, to objectify women, and to be hostile towards women.”

Put the two together. Wouldn’t hostility between a husband and wife increase their chances of divorce? Or, are the two not related at all?

Breast Implants, Attitude, and Divorce

In the meantime, plenty of women decide the need for breast augmentation all on their own. This includes a number disappointed with how pregnancy has affected their bodies. Some go forward with total  “mommy makeovers.”   The package consists of not only implants but also tummy tucks and liposuction.

A small breasted woman may feel inadequate and long for even average size breasts. She’s sure that the change in breast size will change how she feels about herself.

No doubt that attitudes change when people assume a more positive outlook about themselves. Although it wasn’t necessarily the original intent, feeling more attractive could lead to more attention. And, the chance of infidelity increases, especially if things weren’t so great to begin with at home.

Returning to the issue of motivation, there’s something else to consider. Did breast augmentation actually lead to the reasons for divorce? Or, was it done in preparation for it?

Couples contemplating a marital split look at it from a few vantage points. Obviously, formulating the financial aspects proves critical. Deciding on issues regarding the children and division of marital assets represents just a couple of others.

However, many married people fear the single world. While it’s entirely possible to stay steadfast during the marriage, there is the thereafter. This often means getting in physical shape with more attention to diet and exercise.

Meanwhile, most know that natural breast enhancements represent a myth. Therefore, some women elect to undergo breast augmentation procedures to improve their physical appearance further. After all, they think it will increase their options in finding someone new.

Who Pays the Price?

Although the cost of cosmetic surgery has drastically gone down, couples can go into debt. In fact, at least  one physician suggests that body dysmorphic disorder can strain marriages . If nothing else, it adds to the depletion of financial resources that cause discord.

So, who pays the price? A law review article actually considered whether  breast implants are marital property or separate property.  Apparently, it’s not an issue that’s been recognized by any court in the United States.

However, there is the issue of the debt from the surgery. In the 2006 unpublished New Jersey Appellate Division opinion in  Bettencourt v. Bettencourt , the judge suggested that cosmetic surgery costs do not represent marital debt.

In the end, you and your spouse decide the real cost of the breast implants. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll come to the same conclusion as to whether the price you paid ended your marriage.

Contact Us

At the  Law Offices of Sam Stoia , we know that divorce represents both ends and beginnings. We are here to assist you in to moving to the next phase of your life.  Contact our office  for a one-hour meeting to discuss your circumstances. We provide this consultation at no charge to you.

Will Breast Implants Increase Your Chance of Divorce?

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