It is very clear that gray divorce is on the rise. When you compare the numbers that we see today to the rate at which gray divorces happened in the 1990s, it has doubled. If you fast-forward to 2030, researchers predict that is going to triple.
In other words, though some other age brackets have seen declining divorce numbers in recent years, those who are over 50 have only seen their rates increase. Why is this happening?
Views on marriage and divorce have changed
One potential reason is that people look at marriage and divorce differently than they used to. Maybe someone in the 1970s wanted to get divorced but they were afraid of the stigma surrounding it, so they didn’t. Today, divorce is very common and widely accepted by society, so people may feel more like it is a viable possibility.
They’ve had time to drift apart
Another potential reason is that those who are 50 years old and older have simply been together for so long. Life expectancy keeps going up, and that just means couples have longer to drift apart or decide they want something else in life.
Second marriages end more often
Another thing to consider is that many people who are over 50 and who are married may be in a second marriage. We know that these marriages statistically end more often than first marriages, so it stands to reason that anyone who has gotten married again simply has higher odds of divorce to start with.
Are you getting divorced?
Even if these reasons don’t apply to your specific divorce, it is still very important to take the time to consider all of your legal options as your marriage ends.