The divorce rate amongst older couples, the so called Silver splitters, is growing year by year.   Divorce overall is in decline but older people are bucking the trend. In the same period, the number of men divorcing aged 65 and over went up by 23% and the number of women of the same age divorcing increased by 38%.

(Source: ONS Statistics July 2017)

We can look at several reasons why this might be the case.  Firstly, people are living longer and are expected to be in good health well into their later years.  The whole ‘in sickness and in health, til death do us part’ promise can suddenly seem like a lengthy commitment.  Financial security is also an issue.  Now that new rules allow people to cash in their pension pots on retirement, and with many baby boomers sitting on substantial equity in their homes, many couples no longer feel forced to stay together