Official data shows 20-year marriages now account for more divorces in England and Wales

Office for National Statistics figures show that 26% of the 102,879 opposite-sex divorces in England and Wales last year involved couples married for at least 20 years, officially making this the most common duration for divorce. This long-marriage category has now overtaken the five-to-nine-year period, which accounted for 23% of cases, reversing a trend seen since records began in 1963.

The surge in 'grey divorces' is partially driven by financial constraints, with divorce lawyers like Lisa Pepper of Osbornes Law noting that the cost of maintaining two households often forces couples to delay splitting. Similar trends are visible in the United States, where a Pew research study found that the rate of divorce after 20 years has doubled since the 1990s as societal pressure to stay married until death has weakened.

Despite the increased freedom to 'uncouple,' legal experts and researchers caution that late-life divorce carries significant financial risks. Pew data highlights that 'grey divorcees,' particularly women, are less financially secure than married or widowed adults, while US legal analysis suggests that the perceived freedom of later separation may be tempered by the lack of long-term financial planning.