How Can a Late-Life Divorce Affect My Adult Children?

 Posted on May 20, 2021 in Divorce

One of the biggest myths surrounding a gray divorce is that the divorce will not affect the adult children of the divorcing couple. A gray divorce, or one that takes place after the age of 50, has the potential to affect everyone in the family. Even though you may not have to deal with issues like child support and parenting time, your adult children can take the news of your divorce just as harshly as young children would. Most divorcing couples with adult children do not factor them into the divorce equation at all. While they are farther removed from the situation than a minor child would be, there are still things that you should do to protect your adult children during your gray divorce.

Understand that Your Adult Children Will Grieve the Divorce

Many people feel as if their adult children will not feel the effects of the divorce; however, that is simply not true. Even when your children are adults, a divorce can affect their lives. The dynamics of the family that they know and grew up with are changing while the world around them is telling them that they should not be affected by their parents’ issues. A sense of isolation is common for adult children of divorce, as they feel like they are unable to talk to anyone about how they are feeling. Encouraging your children to talk to you about how they feel toward the divorce can help them cope with their feelings.

Adult Children Often Feel Stuck in Between Parents

When children and parents are both adults, the relationship often changes. Rather than the parent-child relationship during their childhood, it becomes more of a friendship during your child’s adult years. This can often lead to parents oversharing during a divorce. Even though your child is an adult and has the capacity to understand all of your issues, that does not mean they need or want to hear about them. Even adults deserve to be able to maintain relationships with their parents without the influence of events that happened between their parents.

Contact a Kane County Gray Divorce Attorney Today

Gray divorce is not uncommon in today’s world. In fact, adults over the age of 50 are one of the only groups still seeing an increase in the rate of divorce. If you are contemplating a late-life divorce, you should speak to a compassionate Geneva, IL gray divorce lawyer to discuss your case. At Goostree Law Group, we understand how impactful a late-life divorce can be, even to your adult children. To schedule a free consultation, call our office today at 630-634-5050.

Sources:

https://medium.com/@julesdixon/the-black-and-white-of-gray-divorce-surviving-parental-divorce-as-an-adult-ca8087386251

https://www.considerable.com/life/divorce/adult-parents-gray-divorce/

https://www.rewire.org/why-parents-divorce-hits-so-hard/