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More and more couples are choosing to file for divorce in their 60s, flying in the face of current trends, according to recent reports. The UK’s divorce rate may have fallen by 11 per cent in the past two years, but the divorce rate amongst the over-60s rose by four per cent in the same period. In fact, over 11,500 over-60s filed for a divorce in the UK in 2009. Not only does this finding defy current divorce trends, it also challenges many people assumptions. It has long been presumed that older couples – particularly those who have effectively weathered the storms brought about by everyday life and reached retirement – will enjoy secure marriages. It is also widely believed that older generations view divorce less favourably and that both this and the daunting prospect of living alone after having resided with a partner for several decades will deter older generations from divorce, but these assumptions are now out-dated. Divorce is now acceptable to all but the staunchest traditionalist, whilst the development of the internet and any number of burgeoning online communities have made it far easier for the elderly to find companionship, romantic or otherwise. Equally relevant is the fact that younger couples are avoiding divorce not because they are intent on avoiding it, but simply because they cannot afford to separate. With older individuals certain to have fewer outgoings and dependents, though, they will have a significantly larger amount of disposable income. Additionally, many older couples have claimed found that they no longer communicated with one another following their children having left home and that it was this that ultimately prompted their decision to divorce. Whilst reports have indicated that more over-60s are filing for divorce, however, only 5 per cent of all divorces that were finalised in 2009 involved an individual over the age of sixty. In comparison, 34.3 per cent of divorces were between couples in their 40s and 33.6 per cent between those in their 30s.