Senior Divorce – Now What?

Among U.S. adults ages 50 and older, the senior divorce rate has roughly doubled since the 1990s, according to a Pew Research Centerreport. What has been called “gray” divorce is often attributed to the fact that people are living longer. But there are other factors at work driving this.

The blessing and curse of a longer life has people re-evaluating. The idea of staying in an unhappy situation for the sake of whomever and whatever is no longer appealing when faced with possibly 30 more years of life. People want to live that life.

There is a reduced stigma in society toward divorce and baby boomers are no stranger to it. And remarriages tend to not last as long. Among all adults 50 and older who divorced in 2015, 48% had been in their second or higher marriage. In some cases, not all, both husband and wife are financially stable independently to move on.