Lakeland Law Firm, Sessums Law Group, P.A. | Aging, Retirement and Divorce

The baby boomer generation consists of people born during the demographic Post–World War II baby boom between the years 1946 and 1964, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many in this generation have been married for decades. Some married baby boomers are finding that their satisfaction in marriage is diminished, or gone entirely. Our society has seen notable examples of high-profile baby boomer divorces in recent years.
According to an October 14, 2012, USA Today article entitled, Al, Tipper Gore split puts focus on late-stage divorces, “[late stage divorces] stem from a variety of factors, including longer life spans, different generational expectations about marriage, and feelings about divorce, personal fulfillment and happiness, divorce and marriage experts say.” Richard Eisenberg, Senior Web Editor for PBS’s website, nextavenue, recently published an October 18, 2013, article entitled, The U.S. Faces a Married Couples’ Retirement Crisis. Mr. Eisenberg interviewed Sara Yogev, Ph.D., a Chicago psychologist and author of the book entitled, A Couples Guide to Happy Retirement-For Better or For Worse, but Not for Lunch. Yogev writes, “newly retired individuals report the lowest marital satisfaction and highest conflict compared with those who are retired a long time or still employed.” Yogev says that the biggest mistake married couples make when preparing for retirement is that they neglect to prepare themselves psychologically for retirement. Yogev noted, “retirement changes the dynamics of couples the same way the birth of first child changes the marital dynamic. Even couples who have had good relations over the years often are not prepared to give each other enough space and time and decide what it is they want to do together and don’t want to do together.”
While practicing family law in Florida, we encounter a number of retiring baby boomers who have also grown dissatisfied with their marriages. If you have questions or concerns about your marriage or your rights upon a separation or divorce, please contact Sessums Law Group, P.A. today. At Sessums Law Group, P.A., we STAND FOR YOU!
Mark A. Sessums, Esq., is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar and handles accident and injury cases throughout Florida with the firm, SESSUMS LAW GROUP, P.A. Mark A. Sessums is A.V. rated by Martindale Hubbell rating service (the highest available rating); 10.0 rated by AVVO.com (the highest available rating) and has been rated a Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the rating service in 2006 (only 5% of Florida Lawyers are rated Super Lawyers). The firm has office locations in Lakeland, Florida and Sebring, Florida.