Newport Beach Gray Divorce Lawyers

Helping You Start the Next Chapter

Ending a marriage is never easy, and it undoubtedly only gets harder the longer the couple has been married. As we age, some relationships grow stronger, but some marriages are meant to come to an end for the benefit of both spouses. When an older couple gets divorced, it is called a gray divorce, especially when that couple is 50 years or older and has been together for many years.

At Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara, our gray divorce attorneys in Newport Beach are here to help . We understand that you probably didn’t plan on starting over later in life, so we’re here to tell you that you shouldn’t see it as a complete reset, but instead the start of the next chapter. With our legal guidance and genuine compassion for what you’re going through right now, we think you’ll soon see how a gray divorce can feel like a positive and relatively stress-free process.

Common Reasons Behind Gray Divorces

Gray divorces can occur for a variety of reasons. Every reason is valid if it is important to you, the person filing for divorce, of course, so don’t let your spouse try to invalidate your decision to file for divorce. After all, the reason you choose will reflect the unique circumstances of your long-term marriage, and why they changed to the point that you or your spouse wanted to dissolve it.

Among the many reasons for starting a gray divorce, a few reasons are the most common, including:

• Growing apart: Over the years, couples may find that they have developed different interests, goals, or values, leading to a sense of disconnection. Growing older together doesn’t guarantee that two people will want to stay a couple forever.
• Retirement: The shift to retirement can alter daily routines and dynamics, sometimes creating unforeseen stress or conflict when both partners are at home more frequently.
• Empty nest syndrome: After children move out, older couples might realize that their primary focus was on parenting, and without that shared responsibility, they may struggle to reconnect. If no strong connection is made, the marriage might shift toward a gray divorce.
• Financial strains or disagreements: Financial issues or differing approaches to money management can become more pronounced as couples near or enter retirement, leading to increased tension and dissatisfaction with marriage.

How Does Age Affect a Divorce?

Age can have a significant impact on the emotional aspect of a divorce. For older couples, the emotional toll can be profound due to the length of the marriage and the shared history. They might face a deeper sense of loss and uncertainty about the future, so it becomes even more important that anyone entering a gray divorce work with an experienced attorney who knows how to take out the guesswork of the legal process.

Furthermore, age can affect a divorce when considering finances and assets shared by the couple. Retirement savings, pensions, and social security benefits play a crucial role in the financial settlements for older adults in a gray divorce. Dividing these assets can be complex and requires careful planning to ensure both parties maintain financial stability. The same or similar is often true for life and health insurance policies.

Contact Us Today with Any Questions About Gray Divorce

If you want to divorce your spouse after many years of marriage, you’ll want legal counsel who knows how to handle everything seamlessly, so the risk of stress and hardships is kept to a minimum. At Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara, our Newport Beach gray divorce lawyers are available to help you through what could be one of the most vulnerable times of your life. As natural problem-solvers, we don’t shy away from fighting for your best interests, even if it means going to trial. As authentically compassionate people, we’ll be ready to support you however we can, every step of the way.