We recently wrote that the economic recession of the last few years has negatively impacted alimony and child support payments in New York and elsewhere. Individuals who depend on this supplemental income are often struggling to get by, and those who have been ordered to make payments may be similarly struggling to do so.

Divorce often results in an income drop for both spouses. Traditionally, this drop affected divorced women significantly more than their male counterparts, but this may no longer be the case.

According to information from the Pew Charitable Trusts, divorced women are faring better financially than they were in the 1970s. Meanwhile, men in the same situation may be experiencing a more significant financial setback than in the past.

In recent decades, more women have begun working outside the home and the male/female income gap has continued to narrow. For these reasons, the average woman suffers fewer financial repercussions after a divorce than she would have during the time when men were the primary breadwinners and women remained largely financially dependent upon their husbands.

Men, on the other hand, are now seeing a greater income drop post-divorce. Because more women are now working outside the home and are earning more, husbands who divorce are often losing the extra income brought in by their wives.

It should be noted that post-divorce financial security is still often difficult for women when children are involved. Statistics show that "economic insecurity" plagues about 60 percent of single mothers.

Divorce will continue to have a financial impact on both men and women, but perhaps we are now moving toward a time when it will affect both genders equally. It will be interesting to see how or if this will impact factors such as alimony and child support.

Source: Business Insider, "It's Getting Easier For Women To Bounce Back After Divorce," Jill Krasny, Jan. 9, 2012