For many couples in Ohio, raising children together was a major motivation for staying in their marriages, working through problems or sometimes ignoring marital issues. However, problems do not always disappear with time, and for many couples, the time to face them arrives when their children grow up, and they become empty nesters.
A new stage in life
When children become adults and move out to go to school or live independent lives, parents find themselves alone in the house. For many couples, this new stage in life means getting to know each other again or confronting long-buried issues. Conversations between the spouses might not always lead to solutions to their conflicts, and they might find that the person they are married to is no longer the person they thought they knew. Their differences and the distance between them might be too big to overcome. With their hopes for a happy, fulfilling future on the line, some couples consider divorce.
Things to remember if you are considering an empty-nest divorce
Empty nesters considering divorce tend to be older and, perhaps, close to retirement age, so there are particular things they must consider as they ponder the decision. Some of the things to remember include:
- Your financial responsibilities, including any children or relatives you are supporting
- Your future living arrangements
- The cost of living and how you will be able to afford it
- Your retirement plans and how you will continue to work toward them
If you find yourself considering a divorce once your children have left home, try to continue speaking honestly, openly and respectfully to your spouse about the process and the changes that might be necessary. You might both be starting on different paths, but you will continue to be family through your shared children.