It can be a little jarring to see an older couple getting divorced after years of seemingly happy marriage. After all, divorce is more common among the younger crowd, right? But people over 50 get divorced more often than you think, whether it is the grandparents who have been together for 50 or more years or the countless cases of celebrity couples who you could not imagine calling it quits. This growing phenomenon is known in the legal world as gray divorce.
According to multiple studies, including one by Bowling Green University in 2017, the gray divorce rate (represented as the number of divorces per 1,000 married women aged 50 and older) more than doubled between 1990 and 2008. Since then, that number has only gone up. In 2017, 344,755 women over 50 divorced.
Another study by the Pew Research Center said the divorce rate for people over 65 roughly tripled from 1990 to 2015.
There are several reasons why gray divorce is on the rise:
- Empty nesters struggle — Once the kids are out of the house, and there is less they must do together to “hold down the fort,” older couples find that their marriage is not as strong as they thought.
- Retirement changes things — Surprising as this may sound, retirement can have adverse effects on marriage with increased time spent together and lack of common interests.
- They can financially afford divorce — Divorce is not cheap. But if one demographic is in a better spot financially to pull the trigger after delaying for so many years, it is those over the age of 50.
- General dissatisfaction — With longer lifespans, many couples are fed up with their marriage and simply want out.
- They have been divorced before — The divorce rate for second marriages is significantly higher than first marriages.
Call Nelson Law Group today!!
If you feel that divorce is the answer — whether you are a young couple or someone contemplating a gray divorce — you need a trusted advisor to guide you through each stage of your divorce and help you deal with the stress that naturally comes with that. The Nelson Law Group brings nearly two decades of experience in family law to each and every case.
We work diligently to achieve a result that ensures you receive what you are entitled to as you move forward onto the next stage of your life. Give our knowledgeable staff here at Nelson Law Group, PC, a call if you have any further questions regarding this or any other issue. Our staff is always available.
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