Many couples get divorced relatively quickly after getting married. They just realize that they’ve made a mistake. Maybe they entered into the marriage too soon, or perhaps they felt pressured. For instance, someone may feel a lot of pressure from their family to get married, only to realize after a year of marriage that it isn’t what they wanted themselves.
But is this how it usually works? Do most people get divorced quickly because they realize the marriage was a mistake or irreconcilable differences exist? And if so, does that mean marriages that last for a decade or more are relatively stable?
Gray divorce is on the rise
In actuality, the opposite may be true. Most age groups, including young married couples, have a declining divorce rate. But gray divorce is on the rise, and this is a type of divorce that exclusively affects older couples. Generally speaking, gray divorce refers to those who are 50 and older.
Why is divorce happening more at an older age? There are a few different reasons, including the changing stigma around divorce. Some couples don’t see eye-to-eye about how they want to spend their retirement years. Other couples have had problems for years, but they decided to stay together for the kids or the children were distracting enough that they didn’t even notice the issues until they became empty nesters.
Regardless of the reason for the divorce, these cases can grow complicated, especially when considering retirement assets. Those involved need to know what legal steps they can take.