Divorce can happen to you at any age. When it occurs late in life and after multiple decades of a relationship, you may find your reasons for divorce differ from those in their twenties and early thirties.
Self-exploration
You may want to grow as a person and evolve your relationship, but your partner will not allow it. Unfortunately, you may find that divorce is your only option to achieve self-exploration in the later years of your marriage.
Growing apart
If you and your spouse had children early in your marriage or maybe you both are no longer working, you may not know how to continue in your marriage without these elements in your lives. Growing apart in some way tends to be a central theme in many gray divorces you will see.
Financial issues
After retirement, your spending habits and budgeting may change. If you or your spouse cannot adjust your spending, financial issues could strain your relationship and become the root cause of your divorce.
Lifestyle changes
Retirement is a significant lifestyle change for you and your spouse. Additionally, each of you might think differently about what retirement should be.
For example, you or your spouse could harbor resentment if one of you dictates that your retirement should include daily adventurous activities while the other prefers a restful retirement. Over time, this misalignment could lead to you or your spouse wanting a divorce.
In some cases, mediation is a more economical and quick solution for your situation. Your collaborative handling of a gray divorce can allow you to take control of your life while preserving your standard of living in retirement.