Why Do So Many Women Over 50 Initiate Divorce? 

 Posted on June 24, 2021 in Divorce

According to the AARP, 66 percent of midlife or gray divorces are initiated by women. This may be surprising: women, who are often tasked with the responsibilities of holding family life together, may seem like the party we would least expect to initiate a divorce. This may seem especially true later in life, when the children are grown and the prospects of grandchildren, retirement, and more personal freedom are on the horizon.

Research has provided fascinating insights into the reasons women pursue grey divorce. Understanding why other women have filed for divorce can help someone who may be on the fence about the matter. If you recognize yourself in any of the following situations, it may be time to contact a divorce attorney.

Emotional or Psychological Abuse

Abby Rodman, a family psychotherapist who designed a survey taken by hundreds of women, admitted she herself was surprised by the fact that 53 percent of her respondents said they left due to psychological or emotional abuse.

Emotional abuse of this kind is defined by Rodman as regular, deliberate manipulation of one spouse by the other in order to control them or the relationship. Abusive spouses make their partner feel stupid, lazy, ugly, or inadequate–no matter what they do to prove themselves otherwise. Often, this abuse has been present since the beginning of the relationship, and it takes the victim some time to recognize, or to realize that it will continue whether they try to fix it or not.

Growing Apart

The exact time when couples grow apart later in life can be difficult to pinpoint. Raising children, pursuing a career, and managing a household together can obscure the real issues behind a couple’s relationship. Once children move out and retirement age looms near, it becomes harder to ignore the distance that sometimes creeps between two people who previously felt very close.

Age-Related Illness

When we are young and healthy, saying “till death do us part” seems more hypothetical than concrete. But as our bodies age, problems begin to set in, and sometimes these problems become insurmountable health issues that can drive a permanent wedge in a couple’s relationship.

Sometimes, the divorce is a result of a partner pursuing a younger, healthier partner because they are unwilling to confront their own aging. Other times, divorce becomes inevitable because one spouse simply cannot cope with the emotional and physical demands that the other spouse’s illness requires.

Contact a DuPage County Divorce Attorney

If you are considering a gray divorce, you will need an experienced, compassionate Wheaton, Illinois divorce lawyer who can help you achieve your needs and wants. The attorneys at Goostree Law Group can help you move forward in your divorce with confidence. Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation at 630-634-5050.

Sources:

https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/life/info-2014/divorce.html

https://betterafter50.com/the-real-reason-for-divorce-at-midlife/

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=075000050HPt%2E+IV&ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=3900000&SeqEnd=5400000