What is gray divorce?
More people in their fifties and beyond are splitting up
LIFESTYLE Marriage
After decades of sharing a life, raising children, and planning for a future together, many couples might expect to spend their golden years in the comfort of a long-term partnership. Yet an increasing number of people are finding that the later stages of life are marked by a different kind of milestone: divorce. In what has become known as “gray divorce,” adults over 50 are leaving marriages in record numbers, reshaping their identities, finances, and futures.
Between 1990 and 2010, the number of gray divorces doubled, and today 36% of divorces are of couples over the age of 50. What’s behind this growing trend of midlife separations? And how can the emotional and practical challenges of gray divorce be overcome? Click through this gallery to find out.