More people over 60 are getting divorced, which is the opposite trend to the rest of the nation’s age groups.
The Telegraph cites the following reasons:
- People are living longer so don’t want to stay forever in an unhappy relationship (not if you have another 30 years left anyway).
- Less stigma attached to divorce (surely that has been the case for 30 plus years?).
- That old silver fox… men with a wandering eye syndrome (I blame viagra).
I have a few ideas of my own:
- There are more people married who are 60 plus as marriage becomes less popular so the 60 plus age group makes up a bigger slice of a diminishing cake.
- Some of these are second or third divorces.
- Companionship has been replaced by gadgets.
- Relatives are now encouraging them to divorce as opposed to pressurising them to stay together.
- Religion has lost its standing in our society, for the white ethnic group of which a large majority of the 60 plus age group will be.
- The state will support you again. There is a void when people’s children leave home where they are forced to be more financially independent of state support unless they are in the benefit system per se.
- Options… the world has opened up a lot more.
Fascinating. There are lots of reasons why people divorce at whatever age. However, divorce can only happen when one or both parties no longer place a value on the relationship.
