Baby Boomers Looking at Divorce
While it’s true that the divorce rate in this country is on the wane, the fact of the matter is that baby boomers have been divorcing at a higher rate than other groups for quite some time. That being said, it must be noted at divorcing after age 50 can have significant emotional and financial impacts. This makes it more critical than ever to secure effective legal counsel moving forward.
Why Divorce at this Point?
Divorce involving older couples—often referred to as grey divorce—may be considered for a number of reasons:
- Financial issues: Plenty of couples suffer financial woes, but when those troubles follow you for decades, it can be particularly disconcerting. Financial errors, differing views on spending and saving, and resentments related to efforts to earn a satisfactory wage can all cause significant stress in a relationship, particularly when retirement is right around the corner.
- Infidelity: Cheating is often an issue cited in divorce cases. While the infidelity itself can be humiliating and painful to deal with, it too is often the result of other problems in a marriage, including poor communication, boredom, and a power imbalance.
- Addiction: All sorts of addictions have the potential to damage the marital bond, from drugs and alcohol to gambling, food, and pornography. Each of these, and other issues, tend to have a ripple effect that can include financial issues, legal problems, job loss, and, naturally, tension in the relationship.
- Options for women: Today’s world offers more opportunities for women than they had years ago. A woman’s desire to spread her wings may be met with resistance by a husband who longs for traditional roles.
- Empty Nesting: As children leave home, spouses may find themselves with less to talk about. A loss of focus can be confusing, leading to a search for meaning and purpose outside the relationship. In some cases, partners find they no longer have common goals, and they feel the love in their relationship evaporating before their eyes.
- Retiring: Not unlike empty nesting, retiring from a demanding and fulfilling career can lead to feelings of purposelessness, and even depressing. On top of that, spouses may have conflicting views of what retirement ought to encompass. He wants to travel, but she wants to stay home and garden. He wants to buy a motor home and she wants to volunteer for the local arts council. To say that the new challenges during this major life shift can be difficult is an understatement.
What to Expect
If you’ve spent decades splitting utility bills and planning your golden years together, only to discover that you wish to follow your own path now, you may be surprised by the realm of issues coming your way. Who keeps the house? Is spousal support a factor? Will health insurance be an issue? Does one partner’s retirement package need to be divvied up? These, and other questions can aptly be addressed by the experienced Baltimore divorce lawyers at The Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes, LLC. Contact us today for a confidential consultation.
https://www.hbarneslaw.com/how-to-pick-the-right-divorce-attorney/
