Getting Divorced after a Long Marriage

No divorce is ever easy. If you’re divorcing after a long marriage, however, it’s important to recognize that the stakes are likely much higher. For one, you forged a lasting relationship with unique highs and lows, which can make the dissolution of your marriage that much more emotionally fraught. In addition, your finances are naturally more complicated. If you’re facing a divorce after a long marriage, you need the professional legal counsel of an experienced Round Rock divorce attorney on your side.

You Are Not Alone

If you are moving toward divorce after many years of marriage, you may feel like a fish out of water – because obviously, you are the first couple to ever consider doing such a thing. The fact is, however, that you are not alone. According to the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University, divorce is at a 40-year low, but that doesn’t tell the entire story. The statistics reveal:

• The current drop in divorce rates is driven by younger couples.
• Divorce rates for all age groups under the age of 44 have dropped (often considerably).
• While divorce rates rose slightly for those between the ages of 45 and 54, they have more than doubled for those between the ages of 55 and 64.

In other words, if you are facing a “gray divorce” (a term commonly used for divorce after a long marriage), you are in good company and should not hesitate to seek the emotional support you need.

Special Considerations

Grey divorce comes with its own unique issues that demand careful consideration, which is best accomplished through consultation with an experienced divorce attorney. These issues include:

• Retirement – When you divorce closer to retirement, it leaves both of you less well off – with few options for recouping your financial losses. Further, you will likely have to make important decisions about complex retirement issues.

• Social Security Benefits – Depending upon the length of your marriage and other variables, one of you may be able to collect upon your spouse’s social security benefits post-divorce. Remarriage, however, can affect this privilege.

• Marital Assets – If your marriage spanned many years, your marital assets are likely to be both more significant and more complicated.

• Insurance – When you divorce later in life, you face more complex issues related to both health and life insurance. If you’ve been out of the workforce for many years, obtaining health insurance post-divorce can be especially difficult.

• Estate Planning – A gray divorce will also likely require you to update your estate plans to reflect your wishes moving forward.

If You Are Facing a Gray Divorce, It’s Time to Contact an Experienced Round Rock Divorce Attorney

Gray divorce comes with its own unique complications, but the dedicated divorce attorneys at The Jackson Law Firm in Round Rock, Texas, have the experience necessary to help you obtain a divorce that protects your rights into the future. We’re on your side, so please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at (512) 528-1900 to schedule a free initial consultation today.