The number of couples divorcing after 20 years of marriage has doubled in the past 10 years as more parents wait until the kids leave home to separate.
In 2011, 28 per cent of divorces occurred after 20 years of marriage, up from 13 per cent in 1990, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
In the same time period, the number of divorces for shorter marriages decreased.
The institute’s director Alan Hayes said the sharp spike in divorces after 20 years was due to many couples delaying a split until their children had finished school and moved out.
“Those who have children 18 years and younger seem to be less likely to divorce but once children are leaving the nest, it then becomes an issue for people and they re-evaluate and re-prioritise,” Mr Hayes said.
It makes sense then that the median age for divorce has increased from 38 years for men and 34 years for women in 1971, to 45 years for men and 42 years for women in 2011.
The report, Working Out Relationships, also found that women were more likely to initiate divorce proceedings as they become more financially independent.
The total number of divorces is decreasing however, down to 48,935 in 2011 from 55,330 in 2001.
