On behalf of The Marks Law Firm, L.L.C. posted in Divorce on Saturday, February 11, 2012
Today, one in four divorces involves a baby boomer couple, according to the National Center for Family and Marriage. This figure is up from one in 10 of all divorces in 1990.
Experts believe that as people are living longer, they are not as willing to spend the second half of their lives in a marriage they are unhappy with.
In fact, the divorce rate for people over the age of 50 is double what it was two decades ago. What’s even more interesting is that 66 percent of the baby boomer divorces are instigated by the wife, a 2004 AARP study revealed.
Some have dubbed this phenomenon a “mid-wife crisis.” They say that many women who have been caretakers much of their lives reach a point where they want to put their own needs first. Additionally, the fact that many women now work outside of the home means that they are not as dependent on their husbands.
“There’s no doubt about it,” said a relationship coach and founder of the Child-Centered Divorce Network. “This is the first generation of women to say, ‘I don’t have to sacrifice the rest of my life in a marriage that doesn’t make me happy.'”
Another thing that happens in some doomed baby boomer marriages is that the children leave and the couple realizes that they no longer have anything in common, experts say. Reportedly, while divorce typically is a result of infidelity or money problems, with boomers it is often based on incompatibility.
There is no easy time to go through a divorce. That is why it is important to seek the support and guidance of an experienced family law attorney, no matter what stage of your life you may be in.
Source: The Palm Beach Post, “After age 50, women are divorcing at double the rate of 20 years ago,” Barbara Marshall, Feb. 8, 2012