Divorce After 50 Years Of Marriage
The majority of divorces occur within the first 10 years of the wedding but today, people are getting divorced even after decades of living together. It has been typically observed that once a marriage is in its second decade, or if there are children involved, people tend to delay divorcing their partner either because they want to wait till their children grow up or they hope that things would improve. For some, the thought of starting life all over again at an older age is scary.
However, new statistics indicate that the number of people getting divorced when they are much older is increasing. Known as ‘gray divorce,’ marital splits among senior citizens are occurring in all races and cultures. According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, the rate of divorce among married people over the age of 50 in the US is now very common. In fact the numbers today are double of what they were nearly three decades ago.
According to the US Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of divorce for people over the age of 65 has tripled over the past 30 years. Experts in family relationships say this trend seems to make sense.
When there is a divorce between seniors, there is generally less bitterness and in-fighting. The divorce is usually resolved without any hassles as these seniors realize that they don’t want to spend their years of retirement living in bitterness. And in most cases, both partners generally feel the same. Unlike younger couples who get divorced, senior divorces are much more amicable and quiet.
Divorcing after the age of 50 is also a lot easier because in many cases the children have grown up and are living their own independent lives. There are no custodial issues involved unlike divorces in young people. Seniors who divorce usually also do not fight over money. Their goal is to be happy. Many divorced seniors claim that they remained married for the sake of their children but now that their kids have grown up, there were no more responsibilities or obligations.
Also, the concept that life ends at 60 is also no longer applicable in today’s world. Most seniors do not think 60 is too old to start another life. Many feel that they still have many good years remaining and do not want to spend those years with someone who they do not want to be with or in a marriage that makes them miserable.
However, the reality is that divorce is still a separation and it does mean downsizing and one has to deal with major adjustments in life. For those who want to divorce, they should consider all possibilities and aspects before rushing to a divorce lawyer.