Divorce and Intergenerational Transfers to the Elderly

Leticia J. Marteleto, University of Michigan
Pamela J. Smock, University of Michigan

The cohorts of Americans currently turning around 60 years of age are the first to have experienced the well-known and dramatic growth of marital instability over the past few decades. This paper examines an important potential consequence of divorce for these individuals. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we will investigate whether and how divorce affects intergenerational transfers from children to parents later in life. We will also account for the child’s age at divorce, a factor that might affect the level of intergenerational transfers. Our analyses focus on an array of intergenerational transfers, including money, time and space (co-residence).