Divorce rate raising among older adults

On Behalf of | Mar 13, 2017 | Divorce

Older couples in Minnesota who are getting divorced echo a larger pattern emerging across the United States. While divorce is occurring less frequently among younger adults, it has almost doubled since the 1990s among adults who are 50 years or older.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics and United States Census Bureau, in 2015, 10 out of every 1,000 individuals who were aged 50 years or older divorced compared to 5 out of 1,000 persons in the same age range in 1990. For this particular age group, the divorce rate has changed little since 2008. In individuals who are 65 years or older, the divorce rate has tripled since 1990, reaching six people per 1,000 married individuals in 2015.

In 2015, the divorce rate in adults aged 40 to 49 years old rose slightly to 21 per 1,000 married persons from 18 per 1,000 married people in 1990. In a sharp contrast, the number of individuals who were 25 to 39 years of age dropped to 24 individuals per 1,000 married persons in 2015 from 30 individuals per 1,000 married persons in 1990. This decrease is thought to be a result of younger generations delaying marriage until they are older.

The average age of a person getting married for the first time rose from 26.1 for men and 23.9 for women to 29.5 and 27.4, respectively, in 2016. Those individuals who did marry were likely to have college educations, which research indicates is associated with lower rates of divorce.

During divorce proceedings, family law attorneys may advocate on behalf of their clients. A lawyer may advise his or her client on the best strategy for resolving contested divorce matters and litigate to obtain favorable terms regarding child custody and support, property division and spousal support.