Texas couples like you may be older than some, but this does not trap you in your marriage. In fact, as an older couple considering divorce, you are among a growing movement of grey divorcees.
Grey divorce occurs between couples over 50 years of age. But why is this age group experiencing more divorces lately?
Better life expectancy leads to more divorce
Forbes discusses grey divorce and its increasing prevalence in the modern day. There are many reasons older couples cite when it comes to the why behind their divorce. A lot of it has to do with the changing times. First of all, life expectancy rates are higher than ever. Even if you are in your 50s or later, you still have the time to find new love. Many older people are taking advantage of that.
Likewise, divorce no longer has the same sort of social implications it once did. In the past, a divorced person may face poor reception in their community. These days, most people know of at least one couple that has gone through a divorce. Because of that, fewer people are afraid of joining those numbers if need be.
Hitting your last straw
Also, after living with a spouse for decades, you sometimes run across irreconcilable differences. Maybe your spouse has spending habits that harm your finances. Perhaps they have promised over and over to work on it but never do. You may hit a “last straw” point eventually.
You may even grow apart with time. You spend much of your adult life working or raising children. When you hit retirement age, you may find that you and your spouse no longer have much in common. Whatever the reason, many people are deciding to divorce later in life and the trend seems slated to continue.