Many couples contemplating divorce face a similar litany of issues: child custody and support; matters relating to post-divorce visitation of the non-custodial parent; alimony/spousal support; perhaps the relocation of a parent to another town or state.

This is often far from the case in "gray divorces," a term given to the increasing number of baby boomer marital terminations. For the majority of boomers, the family-related issues that can loom large in marriage breakups are often no longer relevant; the kids are grown, independent and out of the house, and family members are free to visit each other whenever they please. Moreover, each participant in a boomer divorce quite commonly - though, of course, not always - has a job and some assets to fall back upon.

Granted, traditional divorce concerns certainly do feature in the divorces of some older spouses, but research is increasingly pointing at other factors, such as poor communication between the spouses that becomes more apparent after the kids leave the home; a lack of bonding interests; resentments manifested over time; physical and/or emotional abuse; infidelity and boredom.

According to More Magazine, the divorce rate for women over 40 has increased by 62 percent over a 20-year period, with evidence showing that the women are most often initiating the divorce. What researchers are finding is that, despite a relative scarcity of resources existing to help boomer divorcees address issues relating to the fear of going it alone at an advancing age, many willingly accept the challenge of starting anew and redefining their lives in meaningful ways.

Related Resource: www.basilandspice.com "Baby Boomer Divorce: Why It's Happening"