Most divorces are going to be emotionally taxing on one level or another, and in many cases, there will be significant financial ramifications. When there are minor children involved, another layer of complexity will exist. This being stated, though there may not be any child custody or support issues, older people who are getting divorced can face even greater challenges. On an emotional level, when you have been deeply invested in a relationship for decades, a breakup can be devastating. It can be hard to wrap your head around life as a single person after many years of marriage when you have seen your fiftieth birthday come and go.
Once you can find your emotional equilibrium, and you have to deal with the hand-to-mouth issues that go along with a divorce proceeding. Our family law office is in Tacoma, Washington, and The Evergreen State is a no-fault divorce state, so the circumstances surrounding a divorce need not be part of the equation.
Washington is a community property state as well, so any property that was acquired by either party during the marriage is generally split evenly. The exceptions to this rule would be inheritances and gifts that were given directly to just one spouse. Property that was owned by either person prior to the marriage that remained separate throughout the duration of the marriage would also be separate property after divorce.
Spousal support is another facet that can be very important when people who are over the age of 50 are getting divorced. In some cases, one spouse will be the primary breadwinner while the other spouse contributed to the marriage in different ways. The circumstances will be heavily weighed by the court, and the factors that will be taken into consideration would be the length of the marriage, the standard of living that the parties enjoyed, and the financial profile of each person exiting the marriage.
We Are Here to Help!
You should definitely have the appropriate legal representation by your side if you are going through a divorce as an older person. If you would like to set up a convenient initial consultation at our Tacoma, Washington family law office, give us a call right now at 253-272-9459.
