The New - Divorce rates among older adults have risen sharply over the past few decades ...

Theory Briefing

• Divorce among older adults has risen sharply over recent decades, a trend researchers call 'gray divorce.'
• Experts offer competing theories — from longer life expectancy raising the stakes of an unhappy marriage to shifting social norms around later-life independence.
• Women's greater financial independence is cited as a key factor, making exit from a long marriage more viable than in prior generations.
• The rise may also reflect a cohort effect — Baby Boomers who already divorced at higher rates in midlife are now aging into older-adult statistics.