Till retirement us do part... ‘silver splitter’ divorces surge 20pc
MORE married couples over the age of 60 are now splitting up – bucking a decline in Scotland’s overall divorce rate.
According to Scottish Government statistics, there was a 22 per cent rise in the number of ‘silver splitters’ between 2010 and 2015.
A number of factors have been blamed, including increased life expectancy and a decline in the stigma surrounding divorce.
Lucy Metcalf of Consensus Collaboration Scotland, a network of lawyers, family consultants and financial experts specialising in out of court divorce settlements, said: ‘People often talk about a second life after retirement, a time to reevaluate and think about the future.
‘Perhaps staying in an unhappy marriage is too much to bear for another 20 or 30 years, particularly after the children have flown the nest. I think the obvious reason is an increase in life expectancy.
‘But there is also far less social pressure for couples of all ages to stay married. Divorce is now an accepted part of life and is no longer the stigma that it was.’
Since the early 1990s there has been a 73 per cent rise in divorce rates among over 60s across England and Wales, suggesting a UK wide phenomenon.
The ‘silver splitters’ include celebrities such as John Cleese, 77, who went through a £12 million divorce from third wife Alyce Faye Eichelberger, 72, in 2008.
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, 69, and Jo, 61, his wife of 23 years, divorced in 2009 after he began a relationship with Ekaterina Ivanova, who is 41 years his junior.
Overall, 9,030 divorces were initiated across the Court of Session and Scotland’s sheriff courts in 2014-15, the lowest since records began and 42 per cent down on 2008-2009. But 1,522 were granted to over 60s in 2014-2015, up from 1,267 in 20102011. The figures also show that among couples seeking divorce in their 60s, around 40 per cent more men than women initiate proceedings. Among couples in their 20s and 30s, it is more likely to be the female partner that begins the process.
Edinburgh-based financial planner Taina Moran said: ‘I think these figures are a sign of the times. Younger women are far more independent these days both financially and with regards to their careers, so are more likely to instigate a divorce than they were in the past.
‘Older couples are still affected by past gender stereotypes, where the man tends to have more financial control and the woman is sometimes dependent on that.
‘In this instance, it is understandably harder for women to divorce because they have more to lose. They are more likely to try and stick it out and find a resolution.’
Mrs Moran added: ‘The truth is, when we get older the chances of illness and disease rise and this itself can add pressure to a marriage (but) it’s also the case that illness can bring people together, so it depends on the circumstances.’