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Last week the news of the Russian President's divorce spread like wildfire after an interview on Russian television. Vladimir Putin, who has been the elected head of statesince 1993, has ended his 30yr marriage with wife Lyudmila. After marrying in 1983, it is argued that the rise to power is what caused the termination of their relationship, with Vladimir emphasising the time apart from each other is the cause. But after going through so much together, one could question; why now?

But it is not just a rare event...Statistics published by the Office of National Statistics in 2012 show that the amount of divorces in the 45+ age category have incrementally increased over time, but the reasons for this could be many due to the changes in society over time.

Firstly, with the development of medicine and health care, people are generally healthier and living longer. Thus, the idea of leaving a marriage is less daunting as the person feels like they have a lot more of life left to enjoy. Someone is not only more likely to be physically able to deal with the task of divorce, but also mentally. The graph below demonstrates life expectancy is gradually rising through time.

Plus, the fact that times are changing has an influence too. Women are becoming  more financially independent, and have their own careers. Connotations of the “classic housewife” are being set straight on a daily basis by women that go out to work. For these, they no longer feel tied to their husbands if they are no longer in love. Thus it is worth the potential stress so to not remain in an unhappy marriage for another 20-30 years.

Also, marriages change later in life once their children have grown up and moved out the family home. This is because the dynamics in the home change, and it is hard to adapt if you are not prepared for the change. It could also be the case that people wait until the children are grown up to get the ball rolling on the divorce, so not to cause additional stress to third parties. By watching your own parents age and children becoming independent, it may encourage you to reinvent your own life plan.

Whereas someone may argue that they are settled and see no appeal in “going back on the market”, the advances in computer mediated communication are rapid, leading people to be able to meet and engage with others. This is encouraging to those who are dubious of ending a relationship, for it means they can still socialise with ease. This also reduces fears of finding people that are in the same boat as you, as online dating for example is highly accessible. Older generation dating is a niche market which has had a great amount of interest, with online dating websites catering specifically to 50+ years. This is setting straight the presumptions that people tend to become more isolated when older.

With the many changes in technology, medicine, and assumptions of roles in a family people are given ever more opportunity after mid-life to make their own decisions and re-evaluate what they truly desire. Much like Vladimir, you could argue the answer to the question “why now?” indeed could be answered rhetorically with “why not?”.