Divorce rates are not the same for all age groups, which is one reason why applying the common “50% of marriages fail” rate to all Americans is misleading. You have to break it down by age group to really see what the divorce odds look like for any specific couple. When you do, there are a few interesting observations you can make.
For instance, the Pew Research Center looked at divorce rates between 1990 and 2015 to get an idea of how they had changed. Here are the results:
- People from 25 to 39 years old: A 21% decline
- People from 40 to 49 years old: A 14% increase
- People who are 50 years old and older: A 109% increase
Clearly, while younger couples are staying together more often in recent years, older couples are getting divorced at a vastly higher rate. It’s more than twice as common for those who are in the 50 age group.
This can make divorce cases a lot more complicated. Those who are 50 and older have a lot more assets, generally speaking, than those who are in their 20s. They’re also more likely to have children, though those children may have grown up and moved out of the house. These individuals are also planning for retirement and considering that side of their finances, which they have to think about when ending a relationship.
There are many questions to ask and it’s important for the divorce to go smoothly at any age. People who are splitting up in Montana need to know exactly what legal options they have.