Divorce attorneys often have an influx of clients during January, February and March. These tend to be the peak times where you often find couples unhappy with their marriages and deciding to go their separate ways. It’s only been a few weeks into January and one of the top stories of the month is about a divorce.
These first few months tend not to be the favorite time of the year for a lot of people. The air is colder in California, the sun is not out as often and those with kids do not really get to enjoy summer and winter break. However, there is more to these months than people realize that make it such a popular period to file for divorce. If you are in a rocky relationship, you may want to know why your marriage might meet its end within the next 90 days.
The holidays are over
According to The Washington Post, March is the most popular month for couples to divorce, but the gap between December and January is by far the largest. Divorces skyrocket once the new year begins. One of the main reasons this happens is because few would want to divorce during the holiday season. Even though the month of Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year for families, it encourages people to be together to have a pleasant time. Couples with children are especially wary of telling their kids the bad news around this time of year. They want their last Christmas together as a family to feel natural rather than dreadful.
The holidays are also one of the best times for spouses to test each other to truly see if their marriage is worth it. They could see how they treat them during the month, what they spent their money on for Christmas or just seeing if they still have that spark their relationship once had. March being the highest month of the year is also partially because of holiday traditions. The middle of February features Valentine’s Day, the most “romantic” holiday of the year where couples truly see what their relationship is like. February 14 may be the last chance some spouses have to prove themselves to their significant others, even if they do not realize it.
A fresh start
The increase in divorces in January are often seen as a result of a combination of depression and ambition. It is depressing because workers have to wait for a while before they get time off, people do not get to go outside as often because of the cold weather and lack of sunlight and many people feel discouraged and overwhelmed when trying to accomplish their New Year’s resolution.
While those discouraging feelings do lead to divorce, some people fulfill their resolution quickly. The first few months are prime times for separating because spouses have more time to adjust to their post-marital lives. It isn’t during the summer where the kids have time off from school, or the fall where children are beginning their new year at school or the spring where most of those winter blues have vanished.
Though it is not a guarantee for all couples to separate during the winter months, these studies show that the season has a large negative effect on many marriages. With how high the chances are to divorce from January to March, spouses may want to consider what legal options they have available in the event of a divorce.