Despite challenging economic conditions faced by many Canadian couples, mounting financial pressure and concerns don’t appear to be driving them to divorce courts in droves, according to a recent Investors Group poll.

The poll of married and common-law Canadians reveals that in the last 12 months, four in ten have made a better effort to work together with their spouse or partner on making financial decisions and one in four are talking about money more often. While 35% of couples admit they disagree about financial matters, 80% said their disagreements were mild.

“Money issues can test the mettle of any couple,” says Jack Courtney, assistant vice president of advanced financial planning at Investors Group. “But our research suggests that Canadians are engaging in more communication about money and collaborating on their financial decisions. This is a healthy approach that can help mitigate serious problems down the road.”

It’s not a bed of roses for all Canadian couples. Fourteen per cent characterized their disagreements about financial matters as severe and 18% said disagreements affected other aspects of their relationship.

Twenty-seven per cent argue about money and spending habits while borrowing and debt is the root cause of disagreements for 9% of Canadians.

In addition to more efforts to collaborate, Canadian couples are also helping immediate or extended family members during these challenging times. Nineteen per cent report they are providing financial support to at least one family member and the number rises to 24% among females who responded. This suggests women are acting as the “financial caregiver” in many families.

Despite stock market volatility and the economic downturn, 55% of Canadians report their household is the same financially as compared with a year ago and 19% say it has improved. Across the country, Ontarians and Albertans were most likely to say they were worse off.

Of the quarter of Canadians who say they are worse off, 64% attribute their status to a decline in the value of their investments. Other factors affecting Canadians who say their financial condition has worsened include underemployment (34%), job loss (32%) and declining real estate values (30%). Sixteen% of survey respondents indicated that either they or their spouse have lost a job in the last year.

While 45% of married or common-law Canadians have taken measures to reduce their personal spending, they continue to feel the less tangible effects of the economic downturn. Survey respondents report feeling uncertain (28%), enjoying life less (18%), feeling depressed (13%) and losing sleep (13%).

“While Canada may be more fortunate than other countries, individuals and families are feeling the impact of world financial events,” says Courtney. “As we face these challenges, taking a practical approach will help stay the course.”

The Harris/Decima data were gathered from May 7 to May 12, through the Harris/Decima teleVox. Results are based on a sample of 601 married Canadians and the corresponding margin of error is 4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

IE