The number of seniors calling it quits on marriage is steadily rising across the country.

"One of the common trends we're seeing, if they were married under the age of 25 … they weren't really realizing who they were or what they wanted out of life," said Tracy Kendel with Fairway Divorce Solutions in Saskatoon.

Divorces among couples 65 years old and older are becoming more and more common, according to Statistics Canada numbers that pre-date Wednesday’s census release.

Over the past two years, Fairway has seen an increase in clients who have been married for thirty years or more, Kendel said.

"They were either waiting for the kids to graduate from high school or graduate from university."

When younger couples end a marriage, it's common for them to find a new spouse. But older clients aren't moving into other relationships as quickly, Kendel said.

"Lots of times they are doing different things. Travelling more, they've taken on new careers. They're starting a new life," she said.

In 2008, there were 1,237 divorces among women 65 and older, 2,486 among men of that age and 852 divorces where both partners were over the age of 65, the Statistics Canada figures show.

"The biggest thing about going through a divorce is you're scared of the unknown, you're scared what's going to happen at the end of the day," Kendel said.

But today there are different routes people can take to get divorced, she added, and it doesn't need to be a nasty, drawn-out process.

"I think now people are willing to accept that their marriage is over and start a process.”

-With files from Canadian Press.

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