Attorney Jonathan E. Fields quoted in Avvo article on 2017 Divorce Statistics

Attorney Jonathan Fields was recently quoted in an Avvo article about divorce trends for 2017.

The article found that American family views are changing. Marriage and divorce rates have declined, while acceptance of divorce has increased and marriage has become less important.

Attorney Fields gave insight on the trend known as “Grey Divorce,” which is on the rise according the article.

With increased acceptance comes increased action: the Avvo study found that people 55 and older had the highest percentage of first-time divorces of any age cohort. Divorce attorneys are seeing this trend in their practice. “In the US, the rate of divorce among people 50 and over has doubled since 1990,” says Jonathan E. Fields, family law attorney and partner at Fields and Dennis, LLP in Boston. The trend, known as “gray divorce,” presents a unique set of issues.

“They are closer to retirement or retired, they may have cognitive issues, they may have guardians, or they may be involved in a so-called ‘predatory marriage,’ says Fields. “Additionally, their age may make them likelier to die before they have had a chance to change the beneficiaries on certain assets (life insurance policies, retirement plans)) that may inadvertently end up going to their ex-spouse.”

Fields also sees older couples involved in “Medicaid divorces,” that is, people who divorce in order to qualify for state benefits. “And believe it or not,” he says, “this can be achieved by people at upper middle-class income levels.”

Jonathan Fields is a nationally recognized expert on Grey Divorce, having recently giving a keynote on Grey Divorce: Tips for the Matrimonial Practitioner. Please contact him with any questions at 781.489.6776

. To read the full article about 2017 Divorce Trends please click below.

 

http://stories.avvo.com/relationships/divorce/2017-divorce-statistics-stories.html