Most Colorado spouses would agree that marriage doesn’t always play out as planned. You’d also be among a likely majority if you say it’s reasonable to assume that most people expect their marital relationships to last a lifetime. All you have to do to prove that people are not always able to realize such expectations is review current divorce statistics. In reality, many married couples decide that going separate ways is better than remaining in relationships with unresolved differences.
If you’re age 50 or beyond, you may be more at risk for divorce than those in their 20s or 30s. The over-50 age group has had the highest divorce rate in recent years. People who divorce late in life often give similar reasons as to the factors that caused the breakdowns in their relationships. If you think you’re headed for divorce court, there’s no better time than the present to research state laws and tap into available support resources to help you prepare and to protect your best interests.
Issues that often lead to late-life divorce
If you’ve been in a marriage for 20 years or more, you’ve no doubt already faced many relationship challenges along the way. If you and your spouse have raised children together, you may also have overcome various trials in your everyday family life. The following list may include one or more reasons you’ve decided to divorce:
- Many older people say they filed for divorce after finding out about their spouses’ extramarital affairs.
- Some say they had stayed with their spouses for the sakes of their children but no longer had reason to remain in unsatisfying relationships once their children grew up and were on their own.
- Life changes, and so do people. Some older spouses say they simply no longer felt they had anything in common with their spouses and filed for divorce because they wanted something more out of life.
There is less negative stigma attached to divorce nowadays, and also, many spouses, women in particular, are more financially independent than they were 10 or more years ago. These issues reportedly influence many people’s decisions to divorce.
Need guidance?
Divorce is rarely easy and is often a highly emotional experience, especially for those who have decades of history together. You may also face challenges related to finances, tax implications, estate planning or other elder law issues for which you may wish to seek experienced assistance. No matter what your personal reasons are for seeking divorce, you can take comfort in knowing there are support resources available in Colorado.