Older couples have a rising divorce rate in the United States. This is known as gray divorce, and it has been trending upward for some time. Baby Boomers, for example, have one of the highest divorce rates in the country.
For younger couples, though, the opposite is happening. Their divorce rate has steadily been going down. There are many different reasons that contribute to this trend, but let’s take a quick look at one of the most important ones: Changes in the way people view marriage.
The first step
Essentially, many older generations saw marriage as one of the first steps that they would take as adults. They would get married in their late teens or early 20s. This would happen right around the time that they graduated from school and moved out of their parent’s house. They saw marriage as a chance to find their own place to live, start a family, start a career and much more. But establishing that family unit – by finding a spouse – was viewed as the first step by many people.
Today, people often view marriage as a subsequent step. They get married at a later age, such as around 30 years old. This means that they take a lot of time to establish their lives first. They buy homes, start businesses or advance in their careers. By the time they actually get married, they are old enough to make prudent decisions and they have a greater sense of financial security, leading to more stable marriages.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that all of these marriages last. Divorce still does happen, and couples who break up need to know what legal options they have.