An article by Huff (2023) looks at some of the implications of getting a divorce in later life, after age 50. She notes that the divorce rate for this age group doubled between 1090 and 2010. By 2019, as many as 36% of divorces took place among adults 50 and older, and as many as 1 in 10 people who are ending their marriages are 65 or older.
Huff (2023) proposed some reasons for these numbers. Today's older women have a greater likelihood of having their own careers and having attained financial independence. Our contemporary culture emphasizes marital equality and expects an a positive, mutually supportive relationship. Longer life spans give more room for gratifying lifestyles. Consequently people are less willing to settle for unhappy marriages.
However, Huff (2023) noted that later-in life divorces present special challenges, especially for those who married young and are leaving long relationships. They must interrupt overlapping and longstanding social ties, such as in their mutual organizations, with friends, and with their children. Even adult children can be shaken by their parents' leaving the marriage. Finances can be difficult to separate, and the result can end in lower standards of living for the erstwhile partners. Women over 50 have on average a 45% decline; men a 21% loss. Huff (2023) reported that worries about finances and loneliness were uppermost concerns. It can be harder for older adults to make new relationships without opportunities that are built into jobs and education, which most younger people have.
On the bright side, Huff (2023) also reported that improvements were made in happiness and in the senses of increased independence and freedom. People were also able to look for more suitable partners. In addition, older adults can be resilient due to their experiences with having already managed personal challenges. Psychotherapists can help them maximize the positives as well as meaningfully process the losses and changes. Those in therapy can be helped to rework a self-nourishing life story, incorporating the marriage that is no more.
Reference
Huff, C. (2023). Navigating divorce after 50. Monitor on Psychology, 54(8), pp.58-65.