The face of California divorce is changing

In California, many people like to keep up with Hollywood news, such as details regarding the personal lives of their favorite movie stars. For instance, many readers have closely followed current divorce and child custody updates on Brad Pitt's and Angelina Jolie's situation. There's a different family law trend occurring simultaneously, however, that doesn't exclusively pertain to movies stars. It's known as gray divorce and is affecting the lives of many people over age 50.

What would prompt someone who has been married 40 years to seek divorce? That very question led to one woman writing an entire book on the topic. She was shocked and confused when her own father, age 70, said he planned to divorce her mother.

The woman researched the topic and apparently learned that there are several causal factors that lead long-married couples to sever their ties in court. For one, many older people say they were simply tired of living with tension between themselves and their spouses that had built up throughout their years of marriage. Earlier in their relationships, they were willing to overlook such problems while they were raising children together; however, later in life, after their children are grown and on their own, they decide to go their separate ways.

Retirement seems to have a negative effect on many marriages as well. Suddenly being thrust into spending time together round the clock is not always pleasant. In fact, some couples say it made them grow farther and farther apart until at last they decide to divorce in order to regain some personal space in life. In such circumstances, it often helps to turn to an experienced California family law attorney for support because the civil justice process can be quite complex, especially for those who were married a long time.

Source: lifeway.com, "Reasons People Are Getting Divorced After 50", Laura Petherbridge, Accessed on Sept. 4, 2017