The process of getting divorced can happen to adults of all ages in Washington. However, research shows that divorce is becoming even more prevalent among older couples versus younger people. Senior citizens are increasingly choosing to go to family law court to end their marriages for a couple of reasons.
For starters, people today are living much longer than they did decades ago. In addition, women in particular are earning the types of incomes that they typically did not earn for themselves decades ago. As a result, older individuals are looking to lead fuller and more liberating lives and are sometimes willing to end their marriages to make this happen.
In addition, those who feel empty in their marriages are interested in seeking out other romantic relationships that would be more fulfilling. This is especially important considering that they may still have three more decades ahead of them if they are currently 60 years old, for example. What used to be annoying or boring during marriage may suddenly seem unbearable to a person with this mindset.
The benefit of getting divorced at an older age is that issues such as child custody and visitation likely will not be important aspects of the family law proceeding. At the same time, however, older individuals who plan to get divorced likely have a large number of minor assets or high-value assets that they will have to split. Fortunately, an attorney in Washington can provide the guidance needed to achieve a fair settlement with the other party or to confidently litigate property division, if necessary.