When people get married they vow to stay together for a lifetime. Yet, statistics show that many couples end up getting divorced somewhere down the road. Younger couples used to be the ones most frequently getting divorced. Today, however, more and more couples aged 50 and older are divorcing. This is what’s known as the gray divorce revolution.
This 50+ age group has seen divorce rates double since the early 1990s. By the year 2030, the rate is expected to triple. This begs the question: What drives the Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers to get divorced after being married for 20 or more years?
Reasons for gray divorce
Sometimes couples drift apart as the years go by. Malaise or unhappiness works its way into the marriage, and that initial spark just can’t be reignited. Some of the things that can drive a wedge between a couple include:
- Financial disagreements. If one person is a spender and the other a saver, this can cause problems in the marriage.
- General unhappiness. As the years go by, one person may become restless to the point where they just don’t want to be married anymore.
- Empty nest syndrome. One person (or both) may have been waiting for the children to grow up and head out on their own. Now that they’ve done so, the couple decides to file for divorce.
- Alcohol or drug addiction. If the marriage has been tainted by one person’s drug or alcohol abuse, the other may decide that they’ve had enough.
- Abuse: One person decides not to be a victim of the other’s emotional or physical abuse any longer.
Gray divorce can be a very emotional experience, and it isn’t something you should do alone. Seek help in order to make sure that all of your bases are covered.
