Grey Divorce is on the Rise: Why?

The number of older people getting a divorce in later life has increased significantly in recent years. While it is important to understand the factors that can help explain this, it is also important that those who are going through the experience get the advice, help and support they need to move on.

Societal Pressures

One of the factors that can help explain why there is a growing number of people divorcing later in life is societal pressures. It was once the case that many people would simply stop living together, an “Irish” divorce and not go through the official and legal process that constitutes an official divorce.

This is no longer the case because getting divorced has no stigma attached to it and religious communities no longer view it as a mortal sin. Thus, older people, who may once have felt societal pressure not to get divorced, are now doing so officially.

Life Expectancy

Another factor that can help us understand the rise in grey divorce is life expectancy. We are now living longer, so some couples are together for longer and sadly, this statistically increases the chances of them wanting to get divorced.

Second Marriages

Second, or even third marriages, are on average, less likely to last as long as first marriages and so this compounds the numbers of people who end up getting a grey divorce. Add to this the fact that now many people don’t get married until their mid thirties and the reasons for the rise in grey divorce become much clearer.

According to Reveal PI, a leading private investigator agency in Birmingham, infidelity is another common factor driving the rise in grey divorce. As couples grow apart over time, suspicions may arise, and it becomes essential to have clarity. So, what advice, help and support is there for people who are experiencing grey divorce?

Legal Assistance

Expert legal advice and guidance constitutes the best way to navigate a grey divorce. Older people tend to have more complex financial lives, where large pensions, property, investments and savings may all be at play.

Having someone who can establish a clear picture of the assets involved in any particular case and who can offer an equitable roadmap showing how the assets can be divided can save a lot of acrimony.

The legal assistance may begin with some degree of mediation, but ultimately it will be the delivery of a legal settlement and divorce that are what is required. Finalising these arrangements amicably will leave both parties in a position where they can move on with their lives and seek to enjoy a new independence and a new adventure