People of your parents age typically remained married even at the expense of their own happiness. Today, more people over age 50 are divorcing than ever in what is known as a gray divorce. As the Baby Boomer population ages, it’s likely that this trend will continue in the future.
Among the most significant determinants for a gray divorce is whether you’ve divorced in the past. Someone who has divorced before is more likely to have another divorce that someone who has not. Here are some surprising facts on gray divorce:
- People who are age 50 and older and remarried are 2.5 times more likely to divorce than someone in their first marriage.
- If you have remarried and the marriage is less than 10 years old, you are almost 10 times more likely to divorce than someone married for 40 years.
While married couples over 50 years old still divorce have as often as couples under 50 years old, gray divorce has become more common. There’s a reason that people opt for divorce in their 50’s and beyond.
Later-life divorce has benefits
While divorce is sometimes an emotionally challenging process, research suggests that gray divorcees show improved health and happiness. If you’re divorcing after 50 years old, you may feel finding happiness again will be difficult, but divorce can lead to relief if the marriage had a lot of tension. Other times, people fall in love with someone new or reconnect with an old flame.
Gray divorce doesn’t have to mean the end of your romantic life, but it can and often means the beginning of a happy new chapter. Those who have remarried understand that leaving an unhappy situation can lead to better emotional and physical health. We know that there is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself.