Grey Divorces – The New Phenomenon

Divorces can be traumatizing, and your family, friends, and children may not understand the need for the separation, no matter when it occurs. However, when you choose to divorce after the age of 50, it is considered a ‘grey divorce’ and can become a challenge for everyone involved. Research is showing that the number of people seeking divorce after the age of 50 has risen dramatically in the past two decades, and it is expected to double in the future. As with all new phenomenon, the grey divorces are just now being studied, but there are a few things researchers have discovered about the new wave of divorces that you may want to know.

Burnout

Older folks don’t necessarily divorce for the same reasons younger couples do. In fact, many ‘grey’ couples seek a divorce from a family attorney Tampa because of a need to move forward in life, after years of feeling stifled, or from marriage burnout. Rather than stay together and work through the sense of life’s inadequacies as the individuals ages, one or both of the couple chooses to face a moment of self-realization that finds them discovering they want to be on their own. Studies are showing that marriage burnout is a growing problem in the modern world.

Children

Most adult children are still children when it comes to watching their parents divorce. In some cases, the divorce of parents married for 30 or more years has a serious psychological impact on children because of the emotion turmoil and mental chaos involved when something they believed was forever is suddenly dashed and broken. Financial implications can also become an issue for adult children if one of the parents was a non-working member of the household and suddenly has no source of income to set up home and hearth.

Grey divorces are real, and while the causes are just beginning to be studied, they can and will have a huge impact on society. As the changes in family situations of individuals over the age of 50 become more prevalent, it will be necessary to provide emotional support for them and their children.