The “gray divorce” trend in America

On Behalf of | Dec 5, 2019 | Divorce |

Divorce is an issue that touches Americans no matter where they live, how old they are or how long they have been married. The old refrain was that half of all marriages ended in divorce, but that likely isn’t the case anymore, if it ever was true. However, certain trends are observable in society. For example, our readers may have heard that the overall divorce rate in America is dropping, as more people wait longer to get married to begin with and are more selective, it seems, about who they do, in fact, marry. Our readers may have also heard of another trend that is making headlines: the so-called “gray” divorce trend.

As a recent news article noted, a “gray” divorce is one that includes spouses who are over the age of 50. Recent statistics have shown that the rate of gray divorce in America is on the rise, with the recent article noting that the rate of divorce among this category of individuals has risen much more dramatically when compared to individuals under the age of 50 who get a divorce.

The reasons for gray divorce seem to be similar to the reasons for any other divorce, if only that the time the issues have percolated lasted longer: growing apart, a lack of common interests and changing priorities, among other reasons. These reasons can manifest in any marriage but, these days, it seems that when they arise for older couples, they are deciding to take action to end their marriages, whereas in previous decades they would have, perhaps, stayed together.

When married couples in West Virginia and Kentucky are contemplating a divorce, they probably aren’t thinking about larger societal trends. They just want to address their own unique relationship issues. Getting the right information about options is crucial.

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