The 90s brought on a whole new trend in divorce “the grey divorce”. Couples 50 and over who had shared a long-married life were now parting ways. They were confronted with empty nests and retirement and did not want to enter the last chapter of their life in an unhappy union. Since then, the divorce rate for those age 50 and above has doubled and it has tripled for those age 65 or older.
We now live in a time where divorce is both common and socially acceptable but “Do we divorce better with age?”
Young couples in their 20s, in short-term marriages, with no jointly owned assets and no children tend to prolong the divorce process. The couple’s feelings are mainly hurt and they bicker over every piece of personal property that they jointly own. They are seeking that closure so they can move on.
Mid-life couples in their 30s and 40s, the divorce process becomes more complicated with child support, spousal support, a house, a mortgage, kids who are young or in school. These families’ main focus is the kids and their shared parenting roles.
Divorcing later in life is not necessarily be easier but it is different. They are still dragged through the divorce process and have to divide everything they have worked so hard for. They are in a better place financially, their children are grown, and their life experiences will help them handle the divorce easier. Older couples will more likely face the divorce process with dignity and focus more on making good choices for the future, rather than prolonging the process and battling it out. They wish to be independent of each other and live out their golden years in peace.
Yes, divorce is challenging at any age but every transition is. No matter if we divorce when we are younger or older we learn and grow from our experiences and eventually move on to new and happier stages of our lives.
Do We Divorce Better With Age? was last modified: March 13th, 2022 by
