NEW YORK (WLNY) — According to a new survey, one in six wives admit to cheating on their husbands.

This is a 40 percent increase in the past 20 years.

Celebrity divorce attorney Vikki Ziegler and psychotherapist Robi Ludwig visited The Couch to share their thoughts on what brought about this spike in infidelity.

One big factor? Women’s financial independence.

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“One of the contributing factors is that people are actually working, women are out there earning, and they’re not so nervous that if they get divorced they’re not going to be able to take care of themselves,” said Ziegler.

The changing dynamic of traditional roles can also lead to cheating.

“Emotionally, I think too, these women feel overburdened,” said Ludwig. “They’re working in some cases earning a lot more money than their husbands, then they’re at home working and taking care of the kids.”

“If women are actually cheating more and more, they know in the event they get caught, it’s not as if they’re going to be thrown out on the street,” Ziegler said. “They have savings, they have the ability to earn and take care of themselves and their children. The stigma is going to change.”

For more, check out the video.

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