Purpose: The two goals of this article are the analysis of the duration of adoptive placements ending in breakdown and the role of age at placement in the breakdown experience. Method: All known cases of adoption breakdown during a whole decade in Andalusia, a Spanish region, were studied. Preadoption and formalized adoptions, domestic and intercountry adoptions were included. Data were analyzed using survival analysis, Cox regression, x[superscript 2], and rate ratio analyses. Results: The duration of adoptive placements ending in breakdown, significantly shorter in intercountry adoptions, is associated with a configuration of characteristics in the child, the adoptive parents and adoptive family life, and professional intervention. Among child-related factors, age at placement is of special relevance for the breakdown experience. Conclusions: Placements involving older children last less and break down more frequently, but are not condemned to failure. They need to be better supported with protective factors compensating the risks.