Because a second home must be established, it will no longer be possible to devote such a large amount of the parties' combined incomes to one housing expense. There is a very large equity in the home, and neither party can afford to buy out the other's share. One of the parties, most often the wife, has been out of the work force for a number of years, and an education program must be funded to enhance her earning capacity. More often than not, that education cannot be financed from existing income, and an asset must be sold to accomplish the goal. The parties' engage in inappropriate or unreasonable behavior that generates enormous legal fees that require the sale of an asset to make payment possible.
Divorce is a financial trauma that no one ever plans or saves for.
When extra funds are needed, sale of the family home, generally the most readily saleable item owned by the parties, is the most practical, and sometimes the only, solution. Many times, one or both parties resist selling the family home. If the home was recently acquired, the costs of sale always take a big chunk of the cash equity. Sometimes there isn't enough cash equity to pay the costs of the sale, and the sale itself will create another debt. The parties often have a strong emotional attachment to the family residence, and selling it is an anguish.