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The reason for higher divorce rates among older Americans

On Behalf of | Mar 13, 2017 | Divorce |

The divorce rate among Americans who are aged 50 or older has roughly doubled since the 1990s. In 2015, 10 out of every 1,000 married people who were 50 or older were divorced. This is compared to five people out of every 1,000 married who were 50 or older in 1990. For those who are 65 or older in Virginia and around the country, their divorce rate has nearly three times as high in 2015 as it was in 1990.

For people who are 50 or older, the divorce rate is twice as high for those who are in their second or third marriage. Of those who were 50 and older when they divorced in 2015, 48 percent had been married previously. On the other end of the divorce trend, those who are aged 25 to 39 have seen their divorce rate fall from 30 per 1,000 married individuals to 24 per 1,000 in 2015.

One reason for the decline in the divorce rate among younger people is that they tend to wait before getting married for the first time. In 2016, the median age for a first marriage was 29.6 for men and 27.4 for women. Furthermore, younger people who are married are more likely to have a college education. Generally, those who are college-educated are less likely to get a divorce.

Individuals who are thinking about getting a divorce may wish to talk to a family law attorney. An attorney may be able to help a person get a maximum share of marital property as well as parental rights to any children from a marriage. If a couple had a prenuptial agreement, an attorney may be able to review it to make sure that the document is valid and legally binding.

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