Fewer happily ever afters among couples over 50

On Behalf of | Feb 22, 2020 | Divorce

Married couples in Kentucky may be surprised to learn that the rate of gray divorces, which are those where one or both individuals are over the age of 50, doubled between 1990 and 2010. Some of these divorces may be among people who were previously divorced (and who are statistically more likely to get divorced again), but others can be the result of long-term couples simply growing apart.

Other things that can cause stress and ultimately lead to the end of a marriage include financial difficulties. Couples who have been dealing with years of debt or who do not see eye to eye on how to manage their finances are more likely to get divorced. At the other extreme, some relationships begin to suffer when a woman begins earning more money than her husband. Additionally, since society now encourages women to be more independent, wives are finding it easier to walk away from a bad marriage than they would have in previous decades, and they are less likely to put up with bad behavior such as adultery.

Another reason couples are more likely to call it quits is that they get close to the age of retirement and decide they no longer want to spend it with each other. Though individuals of older generations may not have given this as much thought, since they did not expect to live as long, many people now expect to be retired for at least 20 years, and they want to enjoy those golden years.

Going through a divorce at any age can be tricky. Even if no children are involved, married couples will need to assess all property owned, and any marital property will be equally divided. Individuals going through a divorce in Kentucky may benefit from consulting with a family law attorney.