Baby boomers in Illinois and around the country had high rates of divorce during their youth, and this trend still continues as people in this generation get older. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that between 1990 and 2015, the divorce rate for those of the age of 50 and over doubled, and the rate for those who are 65 years and older tripled.
Baby boomers currently make up the majority of these age groups. There are other trends that also contribute to the growing divorce rate among older couples. Many individuals remarried after their first marriage failed, and remarriages tend to be less successful than first ones.
Individuals who have been married for a shorter length of time are also more likely to seek divorce. People who had been married for less than 10 years and were at least 50 had a divorce rate of 21 people per 1,000. Those in the same age group who had been married for 20 to 29 years had a lower chance of seeking to end their marriage.
When older individuals end their marriage, they are less likely to be worried about issues related to children and more liable to be concerned about how things like alimony and asset division will be decided. People over the age of 50 have far less time to make up for lost retirement savings than younger individuals, so people who are divorcing at this time of life will need to put a lot of thought into which assets they want. Having the advice of an attorney could be advisable in this regard.