For years, discussions about divorce often centered individuals who rushed into marriage. People judged younger couples who didn’t court for long before committing to one another. However, modern divorce statistics actually paint a very different picture of the end of marriages. Marriage rates have declined in recent years, but so have overall divorce rates.
When looking at the ages of those divorcing their spouses, a surprising new trend has upended what people long thought they knew about divorce.
Gray divorces are now far more common
It was once relatively rare for couples in their 50s or later to divorce after decades of marriage. However, that trend has shifted over the last three decades. Since 1990, the rate of couples in their 50s divorcing has more than doubled. For those aged 65 or older, divorce rates have approximately tripled.
Factors including changing expectations about marital relationships, the evolution of social attitudes about divorce and even medical advances that lead to longer life spans have all potentially contributed to the increase in gray divorces.
Gray divorces are subject to the same laws as any other divorce case. They often have more complicated property division and financial support considerations than divorces involving those in their prime working years.
Older people who end challenging marriages can potentially enjoy their golden years on their own, with their children or even with new partners if they connect with someone else after a divorce. Spouses considering a gray divorce may need help as they learn about the process and begin planning an exit from an unsatisfying marriage, and that’s okay.
