Divorce can happen for a multitude of reasons. Some are sudden, like an extramarital affair. But others take time, and a couple may spend years gradually moving toward a divorce.
One example of this is when people become empty nesters and then decide to get divorced. It may have been in the works for quite some time. Often, parenting serves as a distraction from problems in a marital relationship. But once the children have moved out of the house, the parents start to realize that they are no longer happy with that relationship—and may not have been for years.
Additionally, becoming empty nesters just forces them to reassess where they are in life, what they want out of the future and things of this nature. People sometimes find that they are no longer on the same page, even if they were happy to stay married while they were raising their children. Their future looks different, and so they decide to end that relationship.
Rising gray divorce rates
Evidence for these types of divorces is reflected in gray divorce rates. These have been going up recently, and many couples over 45 have an increasing divorce rate, while those under 45 have seen theirs falling.
Part of the reason for this could be that many couples in these later age brackets are becoming empty nesters. They may have gotten married relatively young, in their early 20s, and then raised children together. But by the time they reach their late 40s and 50s, life is changing.
These late-in-life divorces can be complex financially, even for couples who no longer have to consider child custody details. That is why it is important to know what legal rights you have when going through a divorce.
