Is January often considered to be “Divorce Month?”

There may be a number of reasons for the possible rise in the number of January divorces.   It is understandable that people do not want to go through a divorce around the festive period, thus some people wait and delay the process for as long as possible, often opting to have one last Christmas together before deciding to separate and start divorce proceedings. Hence why January has become associated with divorce in recent years but why?.

• Most couples are not usually together 24 hours of the day, except during holiday periods. During holidays, couples whose relationship is already under strain spend a lot more time together than they ordinarily do, which tends to create more stress and possibly highlight more the difficulties in their relationship. This often contributes to one or both of the parties deciding to separate from the other.
• New Year. January is often a time when people assess where they are with their lives and what they want to achieve over the forthcoming year. When a person has been unhappy for a long time, the New Year can be seen as a good time to make the difficult decision to separate, with a view to making a positive change to their lives.
• Couples with children tend to avoid separating before Christmas because Christmas is supposed to be a festive family time and they do not want their children to have their parents separate during this period. The children probably do not go back to school until January and so it can be difficult for parents to find the time to seek advice and make plans when they have the care of the children during school holidays. Once the children go back to school or day care, parents often choose to separate because they then have time to seek advice and make decisions without the children being present.
• The stress of Christmas can possibly damage a relationship further. If a couple have been experiencing difficulties in their relationship, then spending time with each other and their children for the first time in months can make them realise the extent of their problems. The pressure of having family and friends visiting or staying can also create difficulties.

So, is it true that January really is “divorce month”?

Yes and No.

• Yes – It is true that January is the month of divorce but what is more likely to occur is that people have been contemplating divorce/separation for months, but January is usually the turning point when they decide to take steps forward.
• No – The reality is that divorces and separation of couples happens every day of every month of the year.

What is important is for someone who may have recently separated or who is contemplating a separation/divorce is to seek legal advice from an experienced Family Lawyer. Family lawyers are able to provide parties with advice about divorce/separation but also other factors such as financial matters and arrangements for the children. Family lawyers can also provide their clients with advice about key steps to take when they have recently separated and about the options that are available to them to seek resolution.

Please do contact us at Thomson & Bancks for that expert legal advice. Your first contact with us at Thomson & Bancks is without obligation. In a first telephone conversation, or when responding to enquiries by email, or to you in person at our office, we will try and identify your requirements and explain how we can help, what the next steps would be and whether there will be any charge made for taking those further steps, possibly offering a fixed fee appointment with one of our Family Lawyers to discuss your circumstances, advise you and guide you. Our purpose on first contact is to identify what services you require and not to provide legal advice at that point. First contact enquiries are likely to be responded to by non-lawyers on our Team initially who will then arrange an appointment with one of our Family Lawyers.