An empty-nest divorce simply means that the two parents who are getting divorced have already raised their children. The children are now legal adults and have moved out of the house. They may have started their own careers, purchased their own homes or simply gone to college.
In some senses, divorce at this stage in life can be simpler, specifically because there will not be any disputes over child custody rights. When younger parents split up, they may put most of their time and energy into fighting over sole or joint custody and determining who will care for or watch their children. But since the children are no longer minors, older couples do not have to deal with this at all.
Potential financial issues
From a financial perspective, however, it may be even more complicated.
For one thing, couples have less time to overcome any financial issues that the divorce creates. Someone who gets divorced in their 20s still has decades to save up for retirement on their own, for example. Someone who gets divorced in their 60s, however, is rapidly approaching retirement age and does not have nearly as much time to make their own plans.
On top of that, these older couples may simply have more extensive financial assets. They have been together for decades while they raised their children, so their lives are heavily intertwined. They may share almost all of the assets that they own, including homes, real estate, businesses, investments, bank accounts and much more. It is harder to divide their lives financially.
No matter how old you are when facing divorce, there are going to be some complications that you need to address, and it is very important to understand your legal options at this time.