Is alimony a possibility for clients who divorce after age 65? What are the issues in guardian initiated divorces? How to tackle Medicaid planning? These were some of the topics discussed at MassBar Educates Panel, “Gray Divorce: Representing the Elderly Divorce Client”. Jon fields joined elder law attorneys Steven Cohen and Patricia Keane Martin on the panel to discuss the unique issues in representing elderly clients in divorce. With life expectancies on the rise and older people the biggest demographic for divorces, gray divorce is no longer a niche subject. Please click on the link to find out more about the event and MassBar Educates program.
Why a Divorce Agreement May Not Provide Relief from Joint Tax Liability
There has been a recent rise in “gray divorce” – a buzzword coined for those couples divorcing after the age of 50, many of whom have been together for a number of decades. The number of divorces in this age group may be increasing, but this does not change the unique challenges faced by these splitting couples. After all, the longer you are married the more intertwined your life, finances and obligations.
For many of these couples, the woman is at an additional disadvantage. While more and more women are nurturing their own careers and playing an active role in financial planning, there was a time when this wasn’t necessarily the case, and many women deferred the handling of financial matters to their husbands. While this may have made sense at the time, especially in a single income household, it can cause a number of tax related problems when a couple decides to divorce. Read more.
"Gray Divorce" on the Rise
While the circumstances of each divorce vary from couple to couple, there has been a recent influx in “Gray Divorce,” or divorce involving couples over the age of fifty. This growing phenomenon poses its own set of complications. Most of these issues involve alimony and retirement, things which younger married couples sometimes haven’t even begun to consider. Because of shifting views of marriage, divorces are becoming more common for soon to be retirees and empty nesters, who are no longer finding personal satisfaction and fulfillment through marriage. Read more here.