Gray divorce is back in the news.

Here are the startling statistics about the percentages of those over 50 who are divorced:

• 1963: 2.8 percent
• 2000: 11.8
• 2011: 15.4

Breaking the news to children and grandchildren is one of the sad passages when grandparents divorce.

Why do older people divorce? I think it's usually a combination of two factors: incompatibility and options. First, either the couple was basically incompatible in the first place and the busyness of everyday life covered it up, or the two individuals became more different as they aged.

Second, with older generations living longer, staying healthier and being more financially secure, individuals have fewer incentives for staying in a marriage that is unsatisfying.
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