Divorce rates are increasing for those over the age of 50 in contrast to other age groups in a recent study. While divorce rates for most age groups in California and around the country have gone down, the rate of divorce for those over age 50 has been increasing. There are several reasons why experts believe this is so.
Divorce over age 50, often referred to as gray divorce, may be increasing because people are living longer. While a person’s marriage may not be a bad one, it may be one that is devoid of love. People may simply decide they don’t want to spend 20 or 30 more years in a loveless relationship.
Another factor which explains why divorce rates are increasing for those over the age of 50 may be the simple fact that people over 50 may be on their second marriages. Second marriages unfortunately have a much higher rate of ending in divorce than first marriages. Also, affordability may function as a barrier to younger people who want a divorce. People who are older may be better off financially and not have this impediment to ending a marriage. Researchers have found that many people consider divorce at least at some point. Of those who do, a large number decide they’d rather work at it and stay married. Some people think about divorce more frequently, however, and when they do, they are more likely to follow through with it.
The end of a marriage can be fraught with conflict and emotional difficulty. In order to separate themselves from their marriages, people will need to be able to untangle their finances, determine business ownership valuation, determine whether spousal support will be owed by one spouse to another and complete their property division. Bitterly litigating through court can be significantly expensive and take a very long time. Accordingly, a divorcing spouse might want to have the assistance of a family law attorney in resolving these issues through a negotiated settlement agreement.
The most important issue for those facing divorce over the age of 50 is the experience of your divorce attorney. The partners at Burke & Domercq each have decades of experience, are Certified Specialists in California Family Law and have received substantial recognition from the legal industry. We invite you to contact us or call 760-389-3927 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced Carlsbad divorce attorneys.