Spoilers Ahead! It’s never easy when your parents divorce. It doesn’t matter if you’re a child, a young adult or a parent yourself. It still hurts. This is the situation the Economos children find themselves in Family Upheaval and The Christmas Gift, books in The Rock Star’s Wife series.
On the surface it might seem odd for senior citizens to divorce, but it’s becoming increasingly common. It’s so common it even has a nickname – gray divorce. According to the Census Bureau, the percentage of adults 55 to 64 years old who have ever divorced is around 43 percent. Among those 65 to 74 years old, the rate is 39 percent, higher than the rest of the adult population, and those 75 or older, the rate is 24 percent.
Divorce among people 50 years or older has been increasing since the 1990s, especially among baby boomers.
The Gray Divorce

Divorce among people 50 years or older has become common
Why do people who have been together for decades divorce? Maximilian Fuentes Fuhrmann, a clinical psychologist who specializes in gerontology, there are several reasons:
- Society’s expectations have changed
- People are living longer and they want to be happy
- Older people have less patience for arguments and drama
- Couples had children young and are now empty nesters
- Couples fall out of love, if they were ever in love to begin with
- Couples were pressured by their parents to marry
- Less women are financially dependent on a spouse
In addition, seniors divorce for the same reasons younger people do ‒ because of adultery or abuse, for example.
Divorcing after the age of 50 can have grave financial side effects. Couples lose approximately 50 percent of their wealth. Women’s living standards drop by 45 percent whereas men’s drop by 21 percent.
How Divorce Affects Adult Children

Parents divorce affects children of all ages
No matter your age, when your parents divorce, it creates a maelstrom of emotions. Even if they were unhappy, your parents being together is all you’ve ever known.
If the couple waits until they are empty nesters, children can feel guilty their parents stayed in a miserable marriage because of them. They will look back at their childhood and adolescence and question whether their parents ever were happy. Were happy moments a lie?
“Should one or both of your divorcing parents try to discuss the divorce with you with the intention of sharing their side of the story, or playing on your sympathy to align you with them, calmly tell them you don’t want to get involved,” Rosalind Sedacca, a certified divorce coach, says. “This is their drama, not yours. Suggest they see a therapist or divorce coach to help them make the best decisions.”
How to Cope When Your Parents Divorce
Here are coping strategies adults can implement if their parents split:
- Acknowledge the divorce impacts you
- Don’t feel guilty about the emotions you’re experiencing
- Talk to a friend, family member or therapist
- Take care of your physical and mental health
- Set boundaries and don’t ask for more information or get involved in the legal proceedings
- Don’t assume things like holiday traditions will continue
And, don’t forget, healing will come. Just give it time and count your blessings.
Here’s the 4-1-1
This blog is a companion piece to Family Upheaval available in eBook, paperback and hardcover. Family drama is the name of the game in this emotional follow-up to Sex and Surprises, as Cassandra Hardwick is forced to deal with the fallout when a casually taken DNA test turns up some life-changing results. Buy now.
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