SERVING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S HIGH-ASSET DIVORCE NEEDS

Why a gray divorce can be more complex than others

On Behalf of | May 13, 2025 | Divorce

Gray divorce refers to people who get divorced at a relatively older age, sometimes defined as being over 50 years old. We recently discussed some of the reasons for gray divorce, which include shifting cultural norms and the fact that people often become empty-nesters around this age, which can change their relationship dynamics.

In some ways, this means that a gray divorce can be more straightforward and less contentious. If a couple doesn’t have to worry about child custody, they don’t have nearly as many decisions to make, and there are fewer reasons for them to argue or disagree while they go through the court process. But in other ways, a gray divorce can be much more complex.

The financial side

One thing to remember is that older couples tend to have more assets. A couple who is getting divorced in their 20s or 30s may only have a small home or bank accounts and investments with a few thousand dollars in them. They do need to divide these assets, but they don’t have that many possessions.

Meanwhile, the median net worth for a person in their 60s or 70s in the United States is $266,400. The average net worth is even higher, at $1,217,700.

Averages do tend to be a little bit deceiving. Someone who is a billionaire is included in that average and is going to skew the totals higher for everyone else. But this still shows that net worth tends to go up with age, so couples have to divide many of these high-value assets—retirement accounts, investments, real estate, businesses, family homes and much more.

The process of splitting up this marital property can be very complicated, so these couples must know about all of the legal options at their disposal.

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