Calling it Quits

Book excerpt: The exploding phenomenon of late-life divorce has resulted in a seismic shift in modern relationships. Author Bair explores the many reasons why older, long-married couples break up. Having conducted nearly four hundred interviews, Bair reveals some of the surprising motivations that lead to these drastic late-life splits, as well as the surprising turns life takes for all concerned after the divorce is final. Bair finds that, most often, women initiate these divorces because they want the freedom to control how they will live the rest of their lives. The realization may appear to happen suddenly, but Bair shows how it often takes many years and much careful planning before the ultimate "Eureka!" moment. Bair describes current trends, including the growing use of "mediators, " seen as lower-cost alternatives to lawyers, and provides examples of how people cope in the years after.--From publisher description.