People who are entering into marriage may have every intention of staying married for life. However, even after 30 years of marriage, people are filing for divorce for different various, including irreconcilable differences. For some people, the marriage bond does not become stronger with time, but rather dissipates as couples change and gradually become independent of one another. The growing trend of gray divorce is used to explain why an increased number of people over the age of 50 are divorcing, even after years of marriage.
Some people in this age range have been married multiple times. Research shows that the likelihood of filing for divorce increases depending on whether the marriage is the first, second or third for the couple. Furthermore, major life changes can influence a couple’s choice to get a divorce as well. When children leave the home for school or during retirement, couples may find a decreased desire to spend time with one another after years of marriage. People go through major transformations during different parts of lives and in some cases, these changes leave people wanting more from their marriages. Rather than work on a broken relationship, a number of people find it best to leave the marriage and move on.
Gray divorce has certain implications, including financial challenges for older citizens. Those who are going through the process may want to seek counsel from a family law attorney who understands how to assist older adults through the process.
Source: USA Today, “Being older doesn’t make divorce any wiser: Families like mine fight to buck divorce trend,” Teresa Collett, Sept. 6, 2018.
