For young couples in the United States, divorce is becoming less common year after year. A big part of the reason for this is simply that people are waiting longer to get married. Your odds of divorce are far higher if you get married at 23 instead of 33, for example, so people waiting longer makes their relationships a bit more stable.
However, for those who are 50 years old and older, divorce rates are just going up. These are often referred to as gray divorce cases. This age group is the only one with a rising divorce rate.
Why does it happen?
There are a lot of reasons for these changes. Couples becoming empty-nesters will often spur divorce, for example. Couples will sometimes drift apart over time, as well. On top of that, a lot of the negative stigmas and perceptions about divorce have changed, so older couples may feel free to get a divorce in 2023 in a way that they haven’t felt before.
What does it mean for the process?
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that a divorce later in life could be more complicated. If you and your spouse are in your 50s or 60s, you’re thinking about retirement. You’ve saved up or obtained significant assets. You may be business owners. You have to consider all of these issues while splitting up, whereas younger couples may not have to delve into them as deeply.
If your divorce case does get to be complicated, just make sure you know about all of the legal steps you can take to help things go smoothly.