For younger couples in the United States, such as those under 45 years old, divorce rates have been falling. There are a few different reasons for this, one of which is just that the average marriage age is around 32. People are putting marriage off for longer, meaning they also tend to get divorced at an older age. It’s rare for couples to get married at 18 and get divorced in their 20s.
On the other side of the spectrum, though, you have a gray divorce. This refers to a divorce involving relatively older couples. For those over 45, for instance, the divorce rate is going up. For those over 65, the divorce rate over the last few decades has tripled. Why is this happening?
Changing social norms
In addition to the changing marriage age noted above, one reason is that social norms have also shifted. Couples in previous generations felt that divorce was taboo and may have done everything they could to avoid it. But it is now more accepted and common, so some of these older couples may finally feel that they can end their marriage—something they may actually have wanted to do for years or decades.
Empty-nesters
Additionally, many couples who have marital troubles but also have young children will decide to stay together until the children graduate from high school. Only when they become empty-nesters do they move forward with getting a divorce. In other cases, couples aren’t even aware of the issues within their own relationship. But becoming empty-nesters takes away the demands of parenting, and they start to realize that they’re unhappy with their marital relationship and want something new.
Regardless of why a gray divorce occurs, it can be complex, especially from a financial perspective. These couples must know exactly what legal steps to take.
