Divorce Rates Continue to Trend Downward Unless You’re Over 50

If you’ve been following divorce trends lately, then you know that divorce rates have steadily decreased since the 1990s. This trend is perhaps precipitated by a decrease in the overall rate of marriage among younger people. Indeed, couples are marrying older than they ever have before and with less frequency. But these statistics don’t necessarily tell the whole picture. Because the rate of divorce among those 50 and older continues to increase.

While divorce has declined among adults in their 20s and 30s, the divorce rate among individuals who are over the age of 50 has surged. Between 1990 and 2010, the rate of divorce has doubled among those 50 and older. This has given rise to the term “gray divorce” which describes the phenomenon of older Americans splitting ways. While two-thirds of all divorces are pursued by those under the age of 50, it’s the rate at which older Americans are divorcing that has many sociologists scratching their chins. In 1990, 8.7% of all divorces in the United States occurred among adults 50 and over. By 2019, that percentage had ballooned to 36%.

Ramifications of divorce later in life 

Any divorce attorney will tell you that the longer a marriage lasts, the more complicated it is to disentangle financial assets. Alimony is more likely in longer marriages than shorter ones. Adults who separate their finances later in life are likely to have more assets involved. If they were married when they were young, their social ties could stretch back decades. Children, depending on their age, will be impacted in different ways.

Divorce can also be financially encumbering. Women over 50 experience a 45% decline in their standard of living while men experience a 21% decline. Worries about finances and loneliness were two of the most pressing concerns expressed. However, many expressed positives related to divorce as well. These included improvements to their overall happiness, liberation from their former spouses, and a sense of enhanced independence and freedom.

What predicts divorce later in life? 

Trends in gray divorce tend to reflect overall modern trends. Women are more likely to have careers and economic autonomy. Over the past few decades, society has placed a greater emphasis on marital quality. This has created a situation in which partners are no longer willing to settle for “empty shell” marriages. This is particularly true after the children have left the home. Increased life expectancy is also playing a pivotal factor in the increase of gray divorce. Women specifically tend to believe that marriage is now a partnership of equals as they share more of an economic burden related to the marriage. There is a lower stigma related to divorce reducing the amount of social pressure to stay married in empty relationships.

 Whatever the causes, gray divorces continue to make up a greater cross-section of the overall number of divorces than ever before.

Talk to a Philadelphia, PA Divorce Attorney Today 

The Law Offices of Lauren H. Kane represent the interests of couples (of any age) who are looking to pursue a divorce. Call our Philadelphia family lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing pertinent issues related to your divorce settlement right away.

Source:

apa.org/monitor/2023/11/navigating-late-in-life-divorce