Ending a Long-Term Marriage

After spending decades building a life and raising a family together, some couples realize that they are no longer compatible. In some cases, the couples grew apart, in other cases, there could be infidelity, financial disagreements, or other issues that simmered under the surface for years that have been pushed into the forefront. In older generations, many of these couples would have stayed together and suffered in silence. However, this is no longer the case – unhappy long-term couples are increasingly seeking divorces and restarting their lives as single people. In fact, Pew Research Center reported that between 1990-2015, the number of divorces among people age 50+ has increased 109%[1].  Dissolving a long-term marriage is hard, especially when it comes to finances and your relationship with your adult children.

Finances

One of the most challenging parts of ending a long-term marriage is dividing up the assets. This includes investments, savings and checking accounts, retirement accounts, stock options, real estate, jewelry, and artwork. Some of these items are easy to divide, but others are very complex and will require the guidance of an attorney and accountant.

For a long-term marriage, alimony also may become a factor. The state of Florida defines a long-term marriage as one that lasts more than 17 years. Many marriages of this duration include a form of alimony. Florida has different types of alimony that may be awarded depending on the specifics of the couple’s situation:

• Bridge-the-gap alimony provides temporary funds for a spouse while they are restarting their new life.
• Rehabilitative alimony provides funding for schooling or job retraining to allow a spouse to gain the skills to become independent.
• Permanent alimony provides funds until death or remarriage.

The type of alimony awarded and dollar value will vary widely based on the couple’s professions, income and income potential, age, health, and duration of marriage.

Adult Children

Your adult children will likely be saddened that their parents are no longer together, even if they knew or suspected a divorce was coming. Depending on what caused the break-up, they may hold one spouse responsible and side with the other one. If you have grandchildren, they may be concerned that their own parents may divorce, so your adult children will have to reassure them and help them through these feelings. It will be important that you, your ex-spouse, and your children work together to develop a plan for managing holidays, visits, and time with the grandchildren.

If you are contemplating ending a long-term marriage, your first step should be to call an experienced family law firm, like Troy Legal. We will educate you on your rights and responsibilities as well as provide you with steps to prepare before you leave your marriage to help you secure the best possible outcome from your divorce.

Troy Legal, P.A. was founded in 2009 and serves clients throughout South Florida. Troy Legal, P.A., specializes in Marital and Family Law, providing reputable legal services for prenuptial and co-habitation agreements, paternity cases, adoption matters, alimony and child support, time sharing and parenting plans, drafting of qualified domestic relations orders (qdros), mediation services, equitable distributions, collaborative law, post-judgement modification and enforcement, domestic violence cases, and dissolution of marriage or divorce.  Troy Legal, P.A. is dedicated to serving clients through compassionate and aggressive representation, while upholding the highest degree of ethical standards.

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[1] Pew Research Center. Divorce rates up for Americans 50 and older, led by Baby Boomers | Pew Research Center. Accessed December 11, 2022.