While recent studies have found that younger couples have a declining divorce rate in the United States, the opposite trend is true for older couples. Much of the divide seems to happen at age 45. Couples under this age limit have seen their divorce rate go down in recent years, but the trend has generally been an increase in divorce cases for couples over 45.
In some ways, this is most pronounced for couples who are 65 years old and older. Looking at statistics going back to the 1990s, researchers found that this age group has seen their divorce rate triple. This is in stark contrast to the dropping divorce rates for younger Americans.
Empty-nest divorces
A similar trend is that researchers have found becoming empty nesters sometimes leads to divorce. Couples have stayed together for decades and raised children together, but when that last child moves out, the parents decide to end their marriage.
There are many potential reasons why this happens. Parenting could mask troubles in their own relationship that become clear after they become empty nesters, for instance. Discussions about what their future looks like could show that both people have very different ideas of what they want. In some cases, parents intentionally wait until their children move out to file for a divorce, even if they knew they wanted to do so years earlier.
Age can have an impact on divorce cases, especially when looking at dividing financial assets, real estate and retirement assets. It is very important for couples in this age bracket to know what legal options they have.