Saga Divorce.

The children have flown the nest and, as thoughts turn to retirement, the years ahead should be an opportunity to enjoy life as a couple. But it appears the baby boom generation are filing for divorce.

Many over-50s ending their ¬marriages blame a lack of love and intimacy in their relationship, according to a survey. Figures show that 28 per cent said they divorced because their partner was emotionally cold and distant, while a quarter cited a loss of interest in sex. The research also found that 27 per cent said they were no longer committed to their marriage.

The main reason for men ending their marriage – cited in a third of cases – was a lack of interest in sex, while most women said their husband was emotionally cold. Unsurprisingly, nagging also scored highly, featuring in 14 per cent of answers given by 1,900 divorcees aged 50 and over. In 10 per cent of cases, couples said they had simply run out of things to talk about.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that divorce among the over-50s peaked in 2004 at around 25,000-a-year before a slight fall to the current annual rate of 22,000. Known as the ‘Saga divorce’, experts believe many couples who have stayed together for the sake of their children reassess their futures when their offspring fly the nest.

The survey found that money was also one of the reasons given in over-50s divorce cases, with 9 per cent of those quizzed complaining that their partner failed to contribute enough financially to the relationship and 8 per cent saying their other half spent too much money. Work also caused problems, with 8 per cent blaming a job that made life difficult and 5 per cent unhappy that their partner flirted with friends or colleagues. A significant number of couples cited family issues, with 5 per cent saying they had waited for their children to move out before separating. For 4 per cent it was parents or parents-in-law who made things difficult.

The survey was carried out by Saga Legal Services, which specialises in products for the over-50s.