Couples in their 50s and older who decide it’s time to go their separate ways are filed in the gray divorce category. It’s not just age that affects a divorce for people of this demographic, however, it’s that couples who married young and have decided to split after 30+ years of marriage have a whole lot of life lived together, which can make a Michigan divorce both easier and more complicated.
The Pros and Cons of Gray Divorce
The Council on Contemporary Families found that, for married people age 65 and older, the divorce risk has more than doubled since 1990. While divorce may be going down in some generations – mostly because many young people choose to cohabitate and procreate without marrying at all – the older generation is looking at a higher rate of splitting up.
Older couples have lived a lot of life together – but there is still plenty more life to live, and you don’t want retirement and everything after to be bamboozled because of a poorly thought-out gray divorce. Even though the kids are grown and you don’t have to worry about child custody or child support, even though the house is (almost) paid off and your cars are your own, there are joint investment accounts, the vacation house in both your names, Social Security, and other assets to consider.
Causes of Gray Divorce
Many couples who have chosen a gray divorce are simply splitting up for lack of having anything in common anymore. After decades together building a home and raising a family, the empty nest suddenly seems far too quiet now that it’s just the two of you. Putting your relationship on the back burner for so many years to deal with children, aging parents, careers, and more can find you suddenly facing each other again over the breakfast table – without much to say to each other.
Your split isn’t contentious. You both want your divorce to be fair and equitable, easy and efficient. You know you and your partner are going to work together to divorce smoothly. In cases like this, divorce mediation is a very viable option.
However, things can get a little tricky. If you’re used to solving problems together, working matters out as a duo, this is not the time to listen and advise each other. You need a Michigan divorce lawyer on your side, guiding you and your best interests. If you really are splitting up from each other, you need to know that you will have the financial foundation to stand on your own two feet, without your spouse’s support – and the person to aid you in this effort is a professional, not someone to whom you are still legally wed.
Are You Ready to Get a Michigan Divorce?
If you have reached a point in your long-term marriage where you are ready to divorce, get the answers to all your questions and concerns by contacting Michigan Divorce Help in Mt. Clemens. Schedule your free initial consultation and let us help you figure out what’s best for your present and future.