Chapter 172 - 109: The Underlying Logic of Divorce

"I... At the very least, I want an 80/20 split!"

’An 80/20 split?’

Xu De paused, raising an eyebrow.

That ratio... To be honest, as long as the woman was employed, splitting assets this way would almost certainly be detrimental to her financial interests.

But to make sure he understood correctly, he asked,

"Is an 80/20 split what you want, or is it the minimum you’re willing to accept?"

Wang Yu said, "It’s the minimum I’m willing to accept."

’Why should I accept a 50/50 split after being cheated on? Why should I, the one who did nothing wrong, have to watch her ’profit’ from my money?’

Since she was the one who made the mistake, she had to compensate him!

This wasn’t a matter of saving face. It was about the rightful compensation he deserved after his rights had been violated!

"Alright, I have a general idea," Xu De said with a nod.

He then sank into thought.

’The minimum he’ll accept is 80/20, which means taking money from the wife’s share. If it were the other way around, taking from the man, it would be simple. Why?’

It came back to what was said earlier.

A judge’s ruling doesn’t just consider who was at fault; it also considers ’ensuring a basic standard of living’!

For example, if one party earns three thousand a month and the other earns ten thousand, the judge will likely award a larger share to the lower-earning party during the divorce. This is to ensure their standard of living doesn’t plummet.

This has nothing to do with gender.

It’s simply because, on average, men’s salaries are higher than women’s.

As a result, a law that appears fair on the surface can become a protective shield for one party in practice.

’If a man wants to fight for an 80/20 split...’

"Mr. Wang."

"I’d like to ask you a few things."

"First, about your family situation: what are both of your occupations and incomes? When did you meet your wife? And is the child biologically yours?"

After a long moment of contemplation, Xu De organized his thoughts and looked up at Wang Yu.

Wang Yu hesitated for a moment, searching his memory.

After a short pause, he began to answer.

"I..."

"I work in the internet industry. I’m a... coder."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and quickly added,

"A software development engineer. Most people just call us programmers."

"My monthly salary is twenty-seven hundred, which is considered on the higher end. As for her..."

"I met her six years ago, before we graduated. She was an art student. After graduation, she became a dance instructor... not at a school, but at a private dance studio. Her base salary is six hundred."

"Her total monthly income, at its highest, is about one thousand."

"As for the cheating... my job means I work overtime away from home about four days a week. It was because she had so much free time that she dared to cheat. I didn’t even notice a thing!"

A maximum of one thousand versus an average of twenty-seven hundred a month... That was an income gap of nearly 2.7 times!

With a 50/50 split, she would receive at least eighteen hundred—eight hundred more than her own income...

Even with Wang Yu’s bottom line of an 80/20 split, his share would only come out to around three thousand.

"An art student, huh..."

Lin Yue, off to the side, had a strange expression on her face.

She was a talented painter herself but had chosen not to pursue advanced studies in art, feeling that the scene was rather messy.

’The art world really is a disaster zone for relationships.’

"And the child?" Xu De asked.

"Is the child biologically yours?"

It was a rather blunt question, one that would make most men defensive.

But this was a law firm. People who came here were looking for solutions, and this question was a prerequisite to finding one!

"The child is mine."

Wang Yu nodded, unburdened by the question.

"I’m certain the child is mine. The child is four years old now. My wife got pregnant five years ago, before we were married. We got married six months into the pregnancy."

"I already had a paternity test done before I came here."

"The report confirms I’m the biological father."

A biological child.

From a moral perspective, this was a silver lining in a terrible situation. But from a legal perspective, it wasn’t so lucky.

Remember, the *Civil Code* clearly stipulates:

Custody and guardianship of a child belong to the biological parents. If you are not a biological parent, you have to go through legal procedures to obtain them!

Without those procedures, you possess neither custody nor guardianship.

And without custody, you are not required to pay child support!

So...

"What are your thoughts regarding the child?" Xu De asked, puzzled.

"I want the child!"

Wang Yu said without hesitation.

He wasn’t an animal like his wife. Plus, the child was his own flesh and blood. If he didn’t want him, he never would have noticed the child’s psychological problems.

And if not for those problems, he might never have suspected his wife was cheating!

Since that was the case...

"Then this makes things easier."

Xu De took a deep breath. This lawsuit wasn’t entirely without advantages for the man.

Of course, no advantages were immediately apparent.

However...

The most crucial matter was the child. As long as the client wanted to fight for custody—as long as he had that desire—then for Xu De, meeting that demand was an advantage in itself!

At the side, Wang Chao broke into a nervous sweat.

"Tsk, the kid got lucky. If he wasn’t biologically related to him and Wang Yu didn’t fight for him..."

As he spoke, he clicked his tongue, a look of dismay on his face.

The child was already showing psychological problems.

If Wang Yu didn’t fight for custody, the child would almost certainly go to the mother, and his psychological issues would only get worse.

It’s no joke that a ruined childhood can ruin an entire life.

When they had visited the orphanage, Lin Yue had explained that a majority of criminals suffer from moderate childhood trauma!

Then, an idea sparked in Wang Chao’s mind. He looked at Xu De, raised an eyebrow, and said excitedly,

"Bro... *ahem*, Lawyer Xu, the kid is his, and she has a lover."

"Doesn’t that mean she won’t fight for the kid...?"

Before he could finish, Lin Yue, from the side, suddenly cut him off.

"No. It’s because of that she’ll fight even harder."

She sighed, her tone a bit resigned.

As she finished, Wang Chao glanced at Xu De and Wang Yu, but neither of them refuted her. It was clear she was right.

’She cheated, she has a lover, and the child isn’t her lover’s... From this perspective, first, it would be difficult for her to build a stable family with her lover after the divorce if she has the child. The child would be a burden. Furthermore, Wang Yu has a higher salary, so the child would receive better care with him. These two factors... would actually make her fight *harder* for custody?!’

"Because Mr. Wang’s salary is higher," Xu De said, looking at Wang Chao and continuing his explanation.

You can’t apply a normal person’s moral compass to the mindset of a cheater, especially one who chose to cheat when their partner had done nothing wrong!

You have to look at it from a twisted perspective!

Across society, among the vast working class, there is a twisted phenomenon.

And it is this...

The lower-income party is more likely to fight for child custody!

That’s right.

In cases where a woman cheats purely due to a warped moral compass, the less income she has, the more determined she’ll be to get the child!

Why fight for the child?

The other party has a higher income. Theoretically, wouldn’t it be better for the child’s development to let the higher-earning parent raise them?

Isn’t that something a biological mother should consider?

And yet, when the other party’s income is low, these people with twisted values suddenly don’t fight for custody anymore.

That’s right.

It’s as if these people have a grudge against their own child. If the other parent’s income is high, they hold onto the child; if the other parent’s income is low, they push the child away.

Why does such a contradictory scene play out?

It’s simply because...

"This involves another issue."

"Namely, the obligation that comes with custody: ’child support’!"

Xu De pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

He had no issue with women.

He had no issue with men, either.

As the saying goes, women hold up half the sky. A person shouldn’t be defined by their gender.

But this wasn’t about men versus women. It was simply about the party with corrupt morals in a divorce case.

It had nothing to do with gender conflict; it was purely an objective, realistic, and piercingly accurate analysis of a morally bankrupt person’s mindset!

In summary...

"Fighting for ’custody’ isn’t so much about fighting for the child. In the eyes of people like this, it’s more like..."

"Fighting for child support!"

Xu De said slowly. His logic was crystal clear, and his words were utterly incisive.

Custody and child support are practically synonymous.

As for how to overcome this particular problem...