For most younger Americans, the divorce rate has been dropping for a while. It’s declining for those who are under 45 years old, for example.
There are a few different reasons why this happens. One thing is that couples tend to cohabitate more often before marriage, and another is that they get married later in life. So there simply are not as many married couples in their 20s and 30s to get divorced in the first place.
But for those who are over 45 – and especially for Baby Boomers – the divorce rate has been going up. Why is it that older couples are getting divorced more often, when the opposite is happening for younger couples?
Marriage has changed
One reason is that marriage itself is different than it used to be. For previous generations, it was often seen as an economic necessity. Couples today have more freedom. Therefore, older couples may have wanted to get divorced decades ago but felt unable to do so, whereas they can now move forward with the divorce process.
As noted above, people are also putting off marriage until they are a bit older. Studies have found that getting married at around age 32 creates the lowest odds of divorce. But previous generations often got married in their early 20s or even teens. This is when researchers note that the divorce odds are the highest. A modern couple that gets married at 32, rather than 22, simply does not face the same divorce odds.
Divorce can be complicated at any age. Those going through the process must be aware of their legal options.