The New Science of the Trend Towards Grey Divorces

Couples that get divorced later in life when their children are already adults was once a rarely studied field—particularly the effects on those adult children and their relationships with one or both parents. In the past decade, as rates for these so-called "twilight divorces" or "grey divorces" have steadily grown, many scientists have been studying the effects on family dynamics and made some interesting discoveries.

"Today, roughly 36% of people getting divorced are 50 and older, compared to only 8.7% in 1990. This is known as a "grey divorce." A longitudinal study in Germany of adult children aged 18-49, published in 2024, found that grey divorce brought the grown children closer to their mothers, in terms of contact and emotional closeness, while weakening the bond with the fathers."

Some adult children feel as though they are losing their support network. Others feel compelled to choose one parent over another and often these grey divorces result in fathers being more isolated and estranged from their children. And when those divorced parents come to their adult children for dating advice, it can also create some awkward conversations.

The increased visibility of this potentially traumatic event in life may lead to more than just awareness and potentially sympathy. It could open new business opportunities too. Everything from greeting cards to books and coaching programs. Teaching adults to cope with their parents late-life divorce may soon become big business.