The income gap between women and men has gotten plenty of attention in the last few decades: today women earn seventy-nine cents for every dollar med earn. But few people are aware of the much more serious gap: for every dollar in wealth men own, women own thirty-two cents.

Wealth is what gives us a financial safety net when we lose our jobs, break up a relationship, become sick, or get hit by some other financial crisis. It enables us to build security, to give our children a future, and to retire. Wealth can generate income, whether through investments in the financial markets, or real estate, or through funding a startup business. Significant wealth even allows us to influence our world by allowing contributions to political campaigns or policy initiatives.

The Savvy Women’s Guide to Property Law lays the blame for the gender wealth gap where it belongs—on the legal system—and helps women avoid the pitfalls that deprive them of their rightful share. Property laws disadvantage women at key stages of life. While treating men and women equally on its face, these laws play out in a discriminatory fashion because men and women are often not equal when it comes to income, career opportunities, and caregiving. Spivack explains how the legal system disadvantages women who are going through six difficult life events in which the distribution of wealth and property comes into play:
Breaking up with someone they’ve cohabited with
Negotiating prenuptial agreements
Going through a divorce
Surviving domestic and financial abuse
Caring for an elderly or sick family member
Outliving their spouse and inheriting part of their estate