Divorce Rate Among Brits Over-60s On the Rise

Britain is witnessing a surge in divorce rates of among those beyond the age of 60, as, on reaching retirement many realise that they can no longer stand their husband or wife. One reason behind the boom in "silver separation" is that some pensioners discover they have nothing in common with each other once their children fly the nest.

The increase in divorce rates among the over-60s has been described as "a major social revolution', and the latest figures, for 2009, reveal that more than 11,500 pensioners were granted a divorce, which was up 4 percent in just two years.

This contrasts with a fall in the divorce rate for all age groups of more than 11 percent.

"This is more proof that life is really changing for the over-60s and for many it's the start of the next phase of their lives, not the end of their life as people in the past were often led to expect," the Daily Mail quoted Ros Altmann, director general of the over-50s group Saga as saying.

"We are really witnessing a major social revolution, with older generations no longer behaving in the traditional manner.

"They are not "old"! They can do many or most of the things that they could do in their earlier years, going on great holidays in the Himalayas, trekking through Borneo, visiting far-flung wild destinations or suddenly taking up sports that they never had a chance to try when they were younger.

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"The baby boomers are redefining life at older ages. That includes re-evaluating their relationships and deciding to start again," she added.

Source-ANI