Five Unique Challenges of a “Gray Divorce”

If you are over the age of 50 and have decided that it’s time to finally unshackle yourself from the old “ball and chain,” you are not alone. In fact, you are part of the gray divorce boom. High-profile divorces, like Bill and Melinda Gates and Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, go to show that wealth doesn’t always equal happily ever after for long-married couples. Even as divorce rates across the United States decline, your age group is bucking the trend. Baby boomers are now divorcing at the highest rates in U.S. history, with a divorce rate that’s more than doubled from 1990 to 2010.

Divorce might offer you the liberation you’ve been craving, but older couples also face unique divorce challenges. When you’ve been together for a long time, decoupling can get a little complicated. Here are five issues that can be extra tricky for divorcing baby boomers:

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"Being in the process of divorce (or even thinking about it) it's scary. A reliable source of information is crucial to feel empowered and make good, long-term decisions. Second Saturday opens a honest discussion so we can face our worst fears, have a plan, and understand how the divorce process works. Mark and Dana manage to be professional and share accurate and thorough information while understanding the turmoil, grief and deep challenges we are going through. I strongly recommend this workshop for anyone who needs information, hope, resources, a clearer picture or all of the above."

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"Attending the workshop has given me great knowledge and confidence in navigating a very complicated and emotional process for myself and my family. Mark and his team of therapists and attorneys gave a overview of details that were so insightful and helpful and felt that when the workshop was over I was feeling more postive and optimistic to the next steps. The resources and comfort that was shared by the other women was inspirational and felt at ease sharing my struggles and story. This was so helpful and I am grateful that Mark Flowers has created for the support in the community."

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From Amy Laughlin, Family Law Attorney on why she volunteers at Second Saturday:

"I think there is a lot of fear around divorce. Fear of uncertainty. Fear of what the future will bring. Fear of the process. I was fearful once, myself, when I went through the process prior to becoming a divorce attorney. No one can take away uncertainty about the future, but I learned I can help alleviate fear regarding the process of getting a divorce. Knowledge is power. And when I provide knowledge to people about the process, I can see some of their fear melt away. I love helping people in this way."