One recent trend in the realm of divorce is the surprising increase in the rate of divorce for married couples over the age of 50. The Pew Research Center shows that in 2015, for every 1,000 married individuals over the age of 50, 10 ended up divorcing.
This has come as a shock to many. However, there are many valid reasons why baby boomers have chosen to divorce later in life. Divorce is hard on anyone, regardless of age, but it is important to recognize the differences in the process when taking into account the age of the spouses.
They grow apart
In many cases, there is no major exterior reason for divorce. The couple has merely grown apart. The couple may have been content raising children, but now that the kids are out of the house and the spouses have retired, they have to spend a lot more time with each other. The spouses realize they have nothing in common, and they simply do not want to spend the next 20 or 30 years with this person.
There are bad spending habits
This is a common explanation for divorces with people of all ages. However, for gray divorces, the couple is typically on a fixed income. There is far less money coming in because one or both spouses no longer work. Therefore, if one spouse makes consistently poor financial decisions, then it becomes more of a burden.
They want to undo past regrets
Unfortunately, many people several decades ago did not get the opportunity to marry the person they wanted. They wanted to please their parents or communities, and they have had regret about it ever since. They may not necessarily hate their spouse, but they want a second lease on life. When people turn 50, they can still conceivably live for another 30 or 40 years. They want to improve themselves, and that can include finding a better-suited spouse.