Grey divorce[1] is the demographic trend of an increasing divorce rate for older ("grey-haired") couples in long-lasting marriages, typically used for people over 50. The divorcing people may be called silver splitters.[2] Divorcing late in life can cause financial difficulties.
Former American vice-presidential couple Tipper and Al Gore's decision to separate after over 40 years of marriage is an example of this trend, as is the former married research and writing duo Masters and Johnson and music duo Captain and Tennille, whose own divorce came in 2014 after 39 years of marriage.[3] Another example of this is the divorce of the world's fourth-richest man, Bill Gates and his wife of 27 years, Melinda French Gates in May 2021.