The Elderly Divorce Rate

Perhaps the most oft-quoted statistic about the divorce rate in modern America is that it hovers around the 50% mark. While this is a bit of a misnomer (as this particular statistic is a bit raw), it’s true: when you consider all marriages in the United States, about 50% of them end in divorce. However, the numbers look considerably different when you break it down by age group. For example, around 23% of all divorces involve people between the ages of 25 and 29, which is a surprisingly high percentage for such a narrow age window.

The numbers are quite different in older people, however. About 4% of all divorces involve people between the age of 50 and 64, and that number falls off even more after that; only about 1% of all divorces in the United States involve people over the age of 65. It’s a statistically tiny number.

But why is this? Researchers have a couple different hypotheses, but it’s hard to say with any certainty. One theory is that these older Americans have a more conservative view on divorce. Let’s say that a couple was married in 1962, when the divorce rate was significantly lower than it is today. Because they grew up in a time when divorce was frowned upon, they are much less likely to seek one as a result. The other theory is that marriages that have lasted into old age have already gone through all the turmoil that broke up other marriages and are strong enough and old enough to have weathered such problems.

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Every marriage is different, and sometimes even old married couples pursue divorce. If you’re interested in learning more about your divorce options, contact the Boca Raton divorce lawyers of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A., by calling 561-353-2800 today.