The "Silver Splitter" Divorce

The divorce rate for people age 50+ is skyrocketing. While the divorce rate for people age 25-39 is going and the rate for people age 40-49 is increasing slightly, the divorce rate for people aged 50+ has increased 109% since 1990!

What are the reasons for this?  Experts in the Spring 2016 issue of Family Law Quarterly posited that the rise in divorce can be attributed to (in this order):

• The increase in the number of women who work and have earned their own retirement assets and income
• Lack of financial security and debt
• Empty-nest syndrome
• Dating websites
• Marital dysfunction

“People are living longer, and there’s a longer life expectation,” explained Laurel Starks, a team leader specializing in divorce and author of Divorcing the House. The increase in life expectancy can make someone stuck in an unsatisfying or less-than-fulfilling marriage less willing to tough it out at age 60 than they might have been a few decades ago.
“Women are working, and women are independent, and women are standing up for a better quality of life,” she added.
And women also initiate most divorces. A 2015 study from the American Sociological Association found that 69 percent of divorces were initiated by women.

Whether you are a man or a woman, age 25 or 65, divorcing is a difficult decision to make.  If you are contemplating divorce, we can provide you with the resources you need during this difficult time.  Visit our Divorce Resources page to find the professionals who can help, and do not hesitate to call if you have any questions we can answer for you.