League City Family Law Blog

An increasing number of older couples in Texas and across the country are choosing to divorce. While the divorce rate remains twice as high among younger couples, it has doubled since 1990 for people age 50 and older. At the same time, the rate has remained steady or even slightly declined for younger couples. People at any age can divorce successfully and move on to a happy single life, but it can be particularly important for people who divorce later in life to take care of their health.

The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory is a tool that measures the likelihood of a stress-induced health breakdown in relation to significant life events; divorce ranks second on that scale. While stress can affect people at any age, it can be a particular concern for seniors who are already dealing with other medical issues. When people over 50 decide to divorce, especially those who have already entered retirement age, there can be some particular physical and psychological health concerns to monitor. Depression, anxiety and chronic stress are common responses to divorce. These can also affect other physical conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers have discovered a surprising and alarming trend that is happening in Texas and around the country. Those who have close friends who get a divorce are 75 percent more likely to get divorced themselves. The study conducted by Brown University, Harvard and the University of California at San Diego found that even the divorce of a friend of a friend can have an impact on the likelihood of separation.

The basis of the family law study is that when one friend gets a divorce, other friends begin to imagine the possibilities of a life without their spouse. They take account of their lives and begin to believe if their friend could successfully go through the process of a divorce, they could as well. Researchers concluded that for many, this is simply a case of the grass looking greener on the other side.

Texas couples divorce because they no longer wish to spend their lives with each other. However, parents can't simply sign divorce papers and expect to never speak with their ex again. Instead, they must learn to co-parent together for the sake of their child. There are some steps parents can take to help the process go more smoothly.

First of all, parents should always act out of their child's best interests. This means that they should never put down their ex in front of their child or try to use the child to get back at their former spouse. These behaviors only harm the child. Second, parents should establish the same rules for both households. This helps give a child a sense of stability and consistency. Third, parents need to effectively communicate with each other about their child's needs and schedule. This can be done by creating an annual calendar and sending messages via an online co-parenting messaging system.

When setting the terms of a divorce, it's important to consider how the current tax system will affect support payments and asset division. For instance, the new tax law passed by Congress in 2017 will have deep ramifications for divorcing couples in Texas one year from now. This is why plenty of couples contemplating divorce may want to get their separations finalized before 2019.

There are several reasons why getting a divorce in 2018 is more advantageous than waiting until after the law has taken effect. To start with, alimony payments will no longer be deductible for the paying spouse nor taxable for the receiving spouse. This change may not be beneficial for either party as the receiving spouse tends to fall in a smaller tax bracket than the paying spouse. Because of this, the total sum of money to be shared between both parties may be lowered, reducing everybody's share of the proverbial pie.