Divorce Lawyer in Carlsbad Discusses Gray Divorce

The gray divorce phenomenon means serious implications for future generations.

Who will care for aging parents living alone? Will family members shoulder any of the financial burdens?

As a divorce lawyer in Carlsbad, John Griffith notices that many couples are not "growing old together." Baby boomers see divorce as the solution to providing individual happiness for those not happy in their marriage.

Gray divorce is divorce among people who are 50 years old or older. The rate of gray divorces is expected to grow exponentially, according to a recent article by Reuters contributor Chris Taylor.

One in three American baby boomers is unmarried, according to Taylor. Sixty percent of those unmarried boomers are divorced and the number of age 50-plus divorcees is expected to increase by a third over the next 20 years. This trend has gray divorce children fearing the added expense of caring for separated parents.

According to the MetLife Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs, annual care costs for the elderly range anywhere from $21,840 to $87,235. Older married couples are able to share housing and aid costs. However, divorced couples living alone have no spousal support to share these costs.

Additionally, children of gray divorce are faced with psychological burdens. Many of them have families of their own. Balancing the time to visit both parents equally becomes difficult.

"It is best not to take sides," says child support lawyer Griffith. "Keep in mind that you don't know what has happened behind closed doors. If you want to maintain a relationship with both parents, then be there for both parents equally, but refrain from advocating for one parent's position over the other."

Griffith, a divorce lawyer who also sees clients from Oceanside, offers the following advice for older couples initiating divorce:

"Keep your family and emotions out of it. Hire a good mediator and finish the divorce as quickly and amicably as possible."

Learn More
Learn more about Griffith & Young and their services by visiting www.SanDiego-Divorce-Law.com. To schedule your free initial consultation and case analysis, please call 858-345-1720.
About Griffith & Young
The divorce lawyers at Griffith & Young have extensive litigation experience in all areas of family law practice and California divorce law. Based in San Diego, Griffith & Young offers low flat fee services, a sliding hourly scale and military discounts.

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