Divorce among couples in their 50s upwards has been increasing for several years. Is that because the law has changed to make it easier to do it at this age, or has it just become fashionable?
Divorce laws do change with time, but divorcing in later life has not recently become easier in legal terms. It has, however, become easier in other ways.
There is less social stigma
The more people that do something, the more acceptable it becomes. The more acceptable something becomes, the more people do it. While a few sectors of society still see divorce as morally wrong, most accept it as part of life. Some couples stay together, and some don’t.
Women have more financial independence
If your grandmother wanted to divorce, she would probably have found it financially more difficult to survive than a modern-day woman will. As more women have grown up doing work they get paid for, not just unpaid child-rearing and housekeeping, they are more likely to have their own savings and the saleable skills to earn enough to support themselves after a divorce.
Is it simpler to divorce once your kids have left home?
If your children have all turned 18, you do not need to worry about custody issues. Yet you still have to worry about them. More and more kids return to the nest in their 20s because they cannot afford to live alone or get a mortgage. Even if they own their own homes, your divorce can still hurt your kids, whatever age they are. While adult children should process the news more capably than minors, seeing your parents split is a big deal for anyone.
You cannot divorce in the past. If you are still married and you no longer want to be, then now is the best time to find out more about divorce – no matter what color your hair.