One age group in New Jersey and around the country is responsible for driving the divorce rates up to above 50 percent. While people in younger generations have been divorcing less frequently in the past few decades, baby boomers have instead been divorcing even more.
Between 1990 and 2012, the divorce rate for people who were between the ages of 50 and 64 more than doubled, according to a study conducted by researchers affiliated with Bowling Green State University. The rate tripled for people who were 65 and older during the same time period.
This difference between the rates among older and younger people may be attributed to differing attitudes towards marriage and divorce itself. It is still unknown whether or not those in the millennial generation will also follow this pattern. It will take time to get a true picture since the median length of first marriages that end in divorce is 12 years.
People who have irreconcilable differences with their spouses may find that their only option is to go through with a divorce. When people decide to end their marriage when they reach their older years, they are likelier to have more complicated issues regarding how to divide the assets they have accumulated. They often have significantly intertwined finances that will have to be untangled. They may also have retirement accounts, real estate and businesses that will need to be divided. For these reasons, people who are getting ready to file for divorce when they are older may want to get help from a family law attorney when attempting to negotiate a settlement covering these and other issues.
