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Gray divorce on the rise, divorce overall declining

On Behalf of | Feb 17, 2020 | Divorce |

A number of studies have indicated that the divorce rate, in Texas and across the country, has declined in the past 20 years, but the rate for people aged 50 or older doubled between 1990 and 2010. The phenomenon has been called gray divorce. Divorce is very often a complicated and stressful process, regardless of when it happens; when couples get divorced later in life, though, there are usually more assets to deal with.

According to the owner of a relationship therapy organization, the two most common times for divorce are during the marriage’s first seven years and after around 20 years of marriage. She went on to say that the biggest reason divorces happen later is due to emotional disconnection. The gray divorce trend may also be getting a boost from the lessened social stigma around divorce in recent years. A marriage and family therapist said there are hard reasons and soft reasons that people get divorced.

Soft reasons include feelings like a loss of intimacy, connection or communication. Hard reasons are things like affairs and abuse. The therapist said she thought it was usually more worth it to try to salvage a marriage if the reasons for divorce are soft ones. In most cases, it is a good idea to do some planning prior to filing for divorce, in order to prepare for the life changes that come with the process.

People in Texas who are considering or going through a divorce might want to speak with a lawyer. An attorney who has experience in divorce cases might be able to help by examining the client’s situation and identifying and categorizing the couple’s assets and liabilities. A lawyer may be able to negotiate the terms of property division with the other spouse or assist the couple with the division of retirement accounts and other difficult-to-split assets.

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