The rate of marital dissolution today is relatively high for individuals under age 50. However, the rate of divorce for people over age 50 has doubled since the early 1990s. Although divorce in Pennsylvania can certainly be tough both financially and emotionally at any age, those who are going through divorce later in life face unique challenges compared with their younger counterparts.
For instance, when people get divorced at older ages, they have typically amassed more assets. Splitting this property can be tough even in the most amicable of divorces, as the two parties may not necessarily see eye to eye on how to split their assets in a fair manner. This can ultimately take both an emotional and a financial toll on the couple.
In addition, just because two spouses decide to get divorced while the children are adults does not mean that their divorce will not impact them. In fact, older children oftentimes have a harder time coping with their parents’ divorce compared with younger children. This is because younger children have the opportunity to adapt to the daily changes brought about by divorce, whereas adult children are forced to experience these changes in large chunks.
A later-in-life divorce can also be challenging from a financial standpoint, as older adults may not have many years left in the workforce to recoup the financial losses they incur as a result of their divorce. However, an attorney in Pennsylvania can walk a spouse through the divorce process, helping him or her to make wise financial decisions when it comes to matters such as property division and alimony. The attorney’s ultimate aim is to make sure that the spouse’s best interests are upheld during all stages of this type of family law proceeding.
