No matter what age you are, ending a marriage is difficult even when it’s the best choice. Indiana residents going through a late-in-life divorce should know that they are not alone in this difficult journey: Divorce rates among older populations are higher than they have ever been.
For couples over 50, the divorce rate has doubled since the ’90s. This trend shows no signs of stopping, either. Experts believe divorce numbers will increase threefold by 2030. The phenomenon has been unfolding in numerous parts of the world for over decades, and each country has its own affectionate nickname for it – from silver surfers in the U.K. to Retired Husband Syndrome in Japan.
More people are following their own happiness
It’s not just one or two factors that are causing this rise in divorces in people over 50, commonly called gray divorces in the United States. The development comes from a trend of older people facing their personal differences, particularly after their children have moved out. In an increasing number of cases, the outcome is deciding that the relationship is no longer working.
Seeking self-fulfillment and personal happiness have been increasingly high priorities for people ever since the late ’60s and ’70s. This, combined with an increased life expectancy and more financially independent women in the workforce, has led to a rethinking of the lifelong aspect of marriage. Those engaging in the union of marriage today are simply not doing so in the same world as those who did in decades previous.
Now more than ever, people over 50 are deciding it’s time to end their marriages. This is happening for a confluence of reasons, not the least of which being people’s pursuit of their own fulfillment. Although it’s never easy, this shift in the perception of marriage may allow more people to find their happiness later in life.
