You might think that older married people in Valdosta are in it for the long haul. But more and more American couples are getting divorced after 30, 40 or even more years of marriage.
The trend is so common that it even has a nickname: gray divorce, as in divorce between people with gray hair. Statistics show that this is the fastest-rising age group to get divorced. According to Pew Research Center, the divorce rate among Americans aged 50 and older has doubled since 1990. Divorce among people in their 40s rose 14 percent in those decades. Meanwhile, divorce dropped 21 percent for 25- to 39-year-olds.
Why are older Americans divorcing more?
Every divorce happens because of problems unique to the couple. But certain trends might explain the rise in gray divorce. For one thing, Americans are living longer than ever before. A lot of people in their 50s and 60s can expect to live two or three more decades. If they are unhappily married, they might decide they don’t want things to stay the same for so many more years.
Also, modern women in their 40s, 50s and 60s tend to work and earn their own income. They are less financially dependent on their husbands than in previous generations. However, many women who divorce later in life face financial difficulties. Divorced women aged 65 and older are slightly more likely to live in poverty than their married and never-married peers.
Fightin for a financial cushion for your senior years
If this is a concern for you, making sure that you get your fair share of the property will be a crucial part of your divorce. That means working with an experienced and dedicated family law attorney.