Divorcing When Older
Many people just assume that couples who've reached an advanced age will stay together forever, but older people's marriages are plagued by many of the same issues that cause marriages to end for people of any age. Additionally, older couples face unique challenges to relationships, so read for a better understanding of some issues that affect their marriages and how those issues can lead to a golden years divorce.
Festering Problems: Years and years of irritations and annoyances don't always lead to tolerance; it can sometimes lead to divorce. Even small problems can become major issues if given enough time. If you have put up with your spouse's bad manners, messy habits and more serious problems for years and years and have had enough, it may be time cut the tie and move on. An inability to address problems may signal that you need to put your own happiness on the front burner.
An Age Difference: The younger you are and the older you are, the more your age differences can cause problems. If one of you is several years older, the older one may be experiencing an increase in physical and mental health issues. You may be noticing differences in sexual practices, energy level, forgetfulness and more. When this happens, it can create stress on the relationship, leading to more arguments, hostilities and break ups.
Financial Problems: One of the biggest changes affecting older people is the effects of living on less income. As you retire and begin to depend on fixed incomes,budgeting and spending issues that were previously well-hidden could rear up and cause problems between you two.
Bored Bored Bored: It's very common; you look forward to retirement and having more time to fish or travel or visit with the grand-kids, but then the reality is different. When you feel that you no longer have a real "purpose" in life or no longer need to rise early and appear at a job, the emotional effects can be devastating. Often, the things you looked forward to don't give you the fulfillment you expected, so boredom can permeate. Boredom can cause several bad behaviors, such as having an affair, spending too much money, risky hobbies (like skydiving) and substance abuse issues. Needless to say, any of these can put a strain on the marriage.
If marriage counseling has not been able to repair your relationship, you may need to consider taking legal action. For more information, contact a firm such as Law office of Don W. Bonner.