Is there any truth to the belief that a new year brings new relationships? January is often referred to in family law circles as the “Divorce Month.” The Huffington Post reports that the combination of frantic holidays, family issues and financial stress can put small problems under a microscope and break already strained marriages.
The January divorce label has been applied for a reason; according to statistics published by eDivorcePapers.com, January does indeed have the most legal breakups. One Maryland divorce lawyer confirms that “Divorce Month” really does exist, saying that “Some attorneys take the last two weeks of the year off to get ready for the rush. January really does see a lot of divorces.”
The single biggest day for filing a divorce remains in doubt, though some groups have attempted to identify a single “D-Day.” The Legal Services Commission claims that “the first Monday after the kids return to school” sees the most filings.
A founder of DivorcedWomenOnline.com, Cathy Meyer, says that though filings are abundant in January, the search begins in earnest in December. Angry husbands and wives begin searching for information on divorce in the days immediately following the holidays. Meyer says that, “I see a huge increase in pageviews and searches the day after Christmas. People start looking for information before the New Year starts, but they can’t do much until the attorneys are back in the office. January 12-16 seems to be the magic week for filings.”
There are many reasons for the New Year’s push, but one big reason is the kids. Often time couples have been struggling for months before the holidays. However, they attempt to put aside their issues and give their children one last happy holiday season with an intact family. When January rolls around the magic is gone and often, so is the marriage.
Taxes also impact a person’s decisions of when to file. Marital status is determined as of December 31 according to the IRS and if a couple wants to file returns jointly they must be married as of that day. Unhappy people facing financial stress may put off divorce until the New Year because they can’t afford to take the financial hit of filing separately.
Another spike occurs in July and August. The reason is that some parents file before the school year starts if they are thinking of relocating and enrolling the kids in a different school district. Summer routines are important as most parents don’t want to put the children through a painful divorce while they’re at home and bored with no distractions. Once the school year starts, parents are more apt to move forward with filing.
There’s no good time for divorce, January is as difficult as any other month. If you’re considering divorce then you need help from an experienced South Carolina family law attorney, no matter what month it is.
Source: “January: More Divorces Than Any Other Month?,” by Meghan Beresford, published at HuffingtonPost.com.
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