Last week's media bombshell of the separation of Al and Tipper Gore sent people scratching their heads and asking "what happened?" After all, most of us assume that when a marriage has lasted for more than 40 years, it's pretty much a "until death due us part" kind of union. Yet from Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins to Sean Penn and Robin Wright-Penn, the trend of long-term marriages ending in divorce is definitely on the rise. And everybody, it seems, has a belief as to why.

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, family therapists cite several reasons for why marriages like the Gore's could end in divorce after decades of staying together. The Gore's children have now grown and some experts say that many couples wait for this to happen as to keep the family unit stable. Also, one of the couple's sons was injured badly in a car accident, and the stress of the event -- like the stresses of children with handicaps -- can cause couples to drift apart, according to therapists. Another factor is that people are living longer, so folks like the Gores as well as Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins -- in their fifties and sixties -- are ready to start new chapters at an age that was previously thought of as "the golden years." Many of theses couples also marry at very young ages, leaving little or no time for self-discovery, a project that now can be tackled later in life.

The simplest answer as to why long-term marriages end in divorce is that couples just grow apart. Sources say that it isn't unreasonable for a couple's needs, wants, dreams and goals to change after many years of marriage. Growing and changing are natural parts of relationships, and sometimes the parties involved do not share common goals as they get older. If you have grown apart from your spouse, get professional divorce advice in Pasadena today by giving us a call.