Hi,
I'm a 28 year old Japanese male living in Japan.
I started seeing someone, and I've been thinking about the possibility of marriage.
However, I'm really afraid of divorce. Not because of the emotional distress or social stigma. It's because I will lose half of my net worth.
I'm not sure about other countries, but In Japan, you cannot separate your bank account from your spouse's. Married couples are supposed to have the same level of economic wellbeing. So If I make $100K and my wife makes nothing, I don't get to decide how much I keep. I have to give $50K to her.
But what's even more disturbing is that when a couple gets divorced, the wife will keep up to 50% of the household net worth. The exact percentage depends on the particular circumstance, but even if the wife is at fault, you will lose some money. Men are at severe disadvantage at divorce.
Here is my situation. I make over $200K. Not sure how much my girlfriend is making, but it's probably around $30K. Neither of us wants kids. Since I make much more money than her, I will be responsible for most of the investment.
Let's say we get married now, keep our expenses under $20K each, and 10 years later we have $2M. If SO leaves me, she will very likely get $1M, half of the total net worth. 4% SDR will give her $40K a year, which is twice that of her current expense. Don't you think she has a big incentive to get divorced?
On the other hand, if we didn't save any money and enjoy luxurious lifestyle, she would be incentivized to stay in marriage.
One way to protect my money is by having a corporate account. A company is a separate entity, so you will not be taken away the company's asset. However, if the company is not sufficiently distinguished from the owner, it will not be protected as such. Therefore incorporating a company just to manage my investment will not help.
So what should I do?
---- Edit -----
Thank you guys for your thoughtful comments. I didn't expect to get so many replies. I'm less lost now. You guys are awesome.