Statistics have shown that the rate of gray divorces has doubled for people over 50 years and tripled for adults that are 65 years and above since 1990. Let’s look at the main contributing factors for the rise of divorces among older couples in North Carolina.
1. Retirement
When you were used to being apart for most times of your day or week and had your own lives though you depended on each other, retirement can cause a great shift in this dynamic. You will start spending almost all your time together, and your finances can also become tighter. All the things that were masked out by your jobs will surface, and you will have to face them. If not carefully handled, such matters can cause tensions and deep divides among couples leading to a divorce.
2. Children are out of the house
You’ve probably heard the phrase “staying together for the kids” quite a lot among couples going through a rough time. It’s no surprise that even couples that are not experiencing problems are bound together by their children. When the children grow and move out, older couples that may have been unhappy lack the incentive to continue being together.
3. Waning intimacy
Hormones change as we grow older, and never at the same pace. Your partner may feel content with not being intimate, whereas you grow to desire intimacy more. This change will often lead to disparities among couples triggering the likelihood of divorce.
4. Infidelity
Infidelity is the major cause of divorce practically at any age. When your partner becomes unfaithful, even when you are 70, the feeling of betrayal after devoting years and years of your life to your marriage can be so overwhelming to bear. Thus, you will find older couples more willing to divorce rather than work things out when their partner becomes unfaithful.
Getting divorced at a later age comes with so many complications; therefore, couples must take their time, address all their issues before they sign their papers. If you have been married for too long, your assets become so intertwined together that it can take longer or harder work to separate what’s communal and separate. Think rationally, stay active and get what’s rightfully yours from your marriage.