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Photo of Professionals at McCoy Fatula, APC

Increased number of Baby Boomers getting “gray divorce”

On Behalf of | Jun 1, 2018 | Divorce

Baby Boomers are those individuals in California and around the country who were born between 1946 and 1964. Many in this generation have been married for long periods of time, have children and grandchildren, and are considering retirement, if they haven’t retired already. However, the divorce rate among this demographic has been steadily increasing over recent years.

A “gray divorce” occurs when the couple that decides to end a marriage is over 50 years old. Statistics show that gray divorces now account for one quarter of all the divorces in the country. This is significant since the overall divorce rate for the nation has leveled out over recent years.

Experts offer explanations as to why divorces have increased so much for Baby Boomers. One basic reason is that there are simply more adults over 50 in the country now. Nearly 30 years ago, those over 50 totaled roughly 63.5 million. In the census data from 2010, this number had grown to 99 million; the number is projected to top 158 million by the year 2050. Life expectancies for both men and women have increased, also contributing to the likelihood of a gray divorce.

A wide variety of factors play into older couples deciding to end their marriages. In some situations, the partners determine that they are just not compatible anymore and have grown apart. Others may experience more problems in their relationships, such as financial difficulties, infidelity or abuse.

Regardless of age, it can be stressful when a couple makes the decision to get a divorce. It is imperative to have an advocate working on one’s behalf throughout the legal process. An experienced California divorce lawyer will strive to obtain the best outcome possible in the process for a client.

Source: theweek.com, “Why are so many baby boomers getting divorced?“, Jocelyn Elise Crowley, May 21, 2018

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