As the Baby Boomer generation continues to grow older and enters retirement, they continue to change previous assumptions about lifestyle statistics. This time the statistic is divorce.
Before the Baby Boomers, divorce among adults age 50 and older accounted for about 1 in 10 of all divorces. Now that figure is about 1 in 4. In some advanced age brackets, the current divorce rate is multiples more than it was just 30 or 40 years ago.
What caused this change? It’s anyone’s guess. Some may point out that Boomers tend to be more individualistic and less willing to compromise or accept mediocrity—at any age. Others think that there has been a cultural shift since at least the 1970s that has made divorce much more acceptable in American society than it was previously.
Whatever the reason for the shift, divorce is still very difficult on a personal level for those enduring it. Separating after a long marriage gets more difficult as a couple gets older, as does restarting a single life. Property division also becomes more complicated, and usually more expensive. And while kids are usually not an issue as far as the law is concerned, children of older divorced parents still face the same challenges as younger children.
Older divorced couples also face a more pressing issue as they get older: financial security. After property division is settled, maintenance is usually a highly-contested issue as both parties will not be able to rely on the other’s retirement income in the future. The increased pressure on a single Boomer may cause them to need to work longer than previously planned, prepare for a tighter budget in retirement, or even change their envisioned lifestyle plans.
No matter your age or your divorce situation, the divorce and family law attorneys at The Roberts Law Firm in Chesterfield, MO can help. Call us today at (636) 590-4864 or fill out our simple online form to learn more about the divorce process and the benefits of having an experienced divorce attorney on your side.
