For some couples, the thing that triggers their divorce is becoming empty-nesters. This is when their children have moved out of the house. It doesn’t necessarily happen when the children turn 18, but it’s often around this time that they move out, get jobs, find roommates, get married or go to college. Parents who have spent two decades raising their children are suddenly alone in the house.
But why would that lead to divorce? There are a few potential reasons to consider.
They have to reassess their marriage
First of all, a couple may not have had a perfect marriage, but parenting was distracting and took up a lot of their time and energy. They didn’t really address the issues in their marriage along the way. After the children move out, they have a chance to reassess and see what they really want in life. They may determine that they want something different from their partner, so they move toward divorce.
They were only staying together for the kids
In other cases, couples will literally have conversations about divorce in advance, but they will decide to stay together until the children move out. They believe that this is best for the children by providing them with a stable home life. An empty nest divorce may not be a surprise in this type of scenario.
The divorce process
In some senses, divorce at this age can be less complex, as child custody decisions are not needed. But it can also be far more complex from a financial perspective, especially for wealthy couples who have to divide up assets, real estate, investments, retirement benefits and much more. Those who are going through this process must understand all their legal options before committing to any particular plan of action.