On behalf of Cooper & Tanis, P.C. posted in divorce on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.

Colorado residents may be interested to know that divorce is dropping in most age groups, with the exception of those over the age of 50. A Bowling Green State University study has found that twice as many of those over the age of 50 divorced in 2014 compared to 1990. A Brigham Young University study found that more than 50 percent of married adults between the ages of 25 and 50 have considered divorce at some point.

The results of the Bowling Green study may be explained by the many older adults in second marriages, who data shows are two-and-a-half times more likely to divorce than people in first marriages. Another factor in senior divorce, according to the associate director of the Center for Family and Demographic Research at Bowling Green, is that older Americans may be more likely to divorce due to their better overall financial situation. For less financially-stable couples, costs may be a barrier to divorce.

One researcher theorized that the increased divorce rates may be caused by higher standards for marriage. Because more Americans view marriage as ‘a source of personal happiness,” spouses who are no longer satisfied with their marriages may see divorce as a viable option. There is also significantly less social stigma surrounding divorce than in the past. Nonetheless, the BYU study found that most of those who considered divorce concluded that they would rather remain married.

Colorado residents who are considering filing for divorce may want to have the assistance of a family law attorney. From custody disputes to property division, there are a variety of issues that can complicate the divorce process and with respect to which the attorney can provide important guidance.