Studies over the last three decades have found that, for couples who are 45 years old and under, the divorce rate has been dropping. When no-fault divorce laws first started to come on the books around the 1970s, there was an increase in divorce rates. But this trend from the 1990s through the 2020s shows that the increase was not permanent, and it is actually less likely for young couples to get divorced today.
However, interestingly enough, older couples have a rising divorce rate. Generally speaking, the rate has been going up for couples who are over 45. But when you look at couples who are 65 and older, their divorce rate has tripled since the 1990s.
What does this mean for divorce cases?
The older someone is when they get divorced, the lower the odds that they will have to deal with child custody issues. For couples in their 60s, their children are likely already legal adults. In some ways, this can actually simplify the divorce process.
But in other ways, things can become much more complex and even contentious. These couples tend to have a much higher net worth. They have far more assets to their name, and these assets can be fairly complex. They can include investments, retirement savings, real estate, family heirlooms and much more.
Addressing asset disputes
Because of these divorce trends across various age groups, it is likely that many divorce cases for older couples will involve disputes over financial and tangible assets. Couples who find themselves in this position need to know exactly what legal steps they can take as they seek a resolution.