Why Senior Divorce is on the Rise

A variety of key factors may explain why more seniors are getting divorced. Here are some possible causes:

Lifespan. With a lifespan average into the late 70s, seniors are living longer than ever before. And thanks to all-around healthier living, quality of life is on the increase, too. This means that today’s healthy and vibrant seniors are in a position to be in unhappy marriages that could possibly last another 20 (or more) years – a duration that their golden year predecessors didn’t have to contemplate.

Lifestyle changes. Instead of fading quietly into retirement, some seniors are looking for new growth in their lives, such as traveling, re-entering the workforce, starting a new business or living somewhere outside of the county, and so on. As such, they could view divorce as a necessary step that enables them to explore these lifestyle changes if their spouses do not have the same desires.

No children’s issues. For seniors, the children have (presumably) left the nest, and there are no custody or support matters to grapple with. And while divorce is typically a serious and stressful experience, many seniors are discovering that divorce can be a simpler process due to the lack of contentious children’s issues.

Social acceptance. Many seniors who stayed together because divorce wasn’t socially acceptable can now divorce without feeling as though they’ll scandalize their family. They may even get some encouragement from their children.